Salutations from twenty four thousand feet.
I'm in a plane. A Q400, on board Alaska Airlines, en route to Portland, Oregon. There is a dad sitting diagonally from me with his baby sleeping on his lap. The baby is cute, blonde wispy locks and bright happy blue eyes. That are now closed as he takes his own flight into dreamland, on board Sandman Airlines.
The plane is a lot smaller than most any other plane I have boarded. I am sitting in the window aisle, which is not my preferred seating arrangement, but the plane was pretty empty so my aisle seat counterpart moved. Row to myself. I just got some apple juice from the cart service. I had a hankering for orange, but it was coming from one of those concentrate born cartons. Not my style. Apple juice has a certain quaintness to it, doesn't it? I remember one time a long while ago while I was a freshman in college I was hungover or sick (or both) and a friend told me apple juice was good for your tummy in those instances. It's been pretty soothing ever since.
Daddy on the diagonal has a wedding band on, I noticed. I wonder where Mommy is.
The topography is tan and brown and rugged, it reminds me of one of those world globes from grade school. I used run my fingers across the textured surface and try to imagine what life was like in those exotic sounding places like Egypt, Kenya, or Canada. Sometimes I would spin it and close my eyes, press my finger down to one spot to bring it to a stop and pretend I was going to move there.
I wonder if my finger ever traced a path to Portland, Oregon.
As I fly there now, I wonder what life will be like from now on. Or maybe just in the next five years. I wonder about the concept re-inventing oneself.
Do you think that is possible? Ostensibly we invent ourselves anew each day, or we could. I feel like there is much of my California self I'd like to leave behind. I think overall the latter part of last decade was marked by much tumult, both inwardly and on the outside. No regrets, really, but I am certainly yearning for a change. I am thirty one now, ten years ago I was a completely different person. I am proud of who I have become and hope to use the tools the bumps along the way have equipped me with to build a better me. I guess I am doing that all the time.
What does that look like actually? I think it will require more thoughtful action than reaction. I am pretty determined to keep my youthful approach and mildly savage tendencies, but at the same time I think I am aiming for a more even temperance of character.
Maybe. I am always working on mindfulness, so the result of that is trying to make sure my choices are aligned with my goals. I think even though those are become clearer everyday I don't I always act in a way that leads me closer to them. Sometimes out of habit and sometimes out of convenience.
Daddy keeps looking over. I wonder if I am interesting looking or if he is just bored. I wonder why I always buy Peet's coffee. It always disappoints me. Remind me to never buy Peet's again unless it's an emergency. I am glad, however, that I made that chicken sausage, egg, and cheddar sandwich for the ride over. It was delicious.
We are beginning our decent into my new town.
Wish me luck.
Oh, and don't forget... Until next time, expect great things...
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