Photo Source: cbs news
Come on Irene!
For the first time in a long time, we here in the northeast are under watch for the latest hurricane, Irene, which seems to be heading in our direction. We’ve had these types of warnings many times in the past and a lot of them turned out to be nothing more than some rain and a little wind, and I hope that’s the case this time, too. They’re saying Sunday, so anything can happen between now and then. We haven’t had one since I bought my house in 98 and I shudder to think about one hitting here full force because I have a lot of trees in my yard. Fingers crossed and stay tuned…
Photo Source: Watt's Up With That?
Earthquake? What Earthquake?
I think I am probably the only person I know who didn’t feel the Earth trembling at yesterday’s earthquake, which struck in Virginia but was felt all over the Eastern Seaboard. I spoke to a couple of people who felt it around 2PM, but I didn’t even know about it until much later. They say it’s the strongest earthquake to ever hit the area at 5.6 on the Richter, and of course the end-of-the-worlders are out in full force. Gimme a break!
Opening up
As I told you the other day, I’ve been struggling a lot lately with the things I put on this blog. It all started when I got a nasty and derogatory email from a reader that made me do a lot of thinking. More than a week has passed now and several friends have given me cause to keep doing what I’m doing and not be affected by such malicious nonsense. After all, this is my space and if anyone doesn’t want to read it, they don’t have to.
Though I have no idea specifically what the emailer was referring to in his rant, I had removed a piece I thought he might have been responding to, a poem about my recent face to face encounter with him. At the moment I have no plans to republish it in full, but here’s an abridged version of the original that I had penned a week ago Sunday:
Yet another regretful episode in this muddled story
A chance meeting unforeseen
At almost the very spot where we first met
We’d both imagined this in our minds
Yet neither could know what really to expect
It all happened so suddenly
I looked up with disbelieving eyes into your face
And saw you looking into mine
And in a flash, all I could think of to do was turn and run
But you saw me as I saw you and called to me from behind
At that point, the deed was done
The circumstance of our encounter was settled
You were excited and I was terrified
My reaction dampened your evening and mine
The latest in a series of miscommunications between us
Running away was not the mature thing to do
Yet it was an impulse borne out of months of despair
And yes, anger, at the very thought of you
I regret the action and wish I could take it back
But what’s done cannot be undone
I don’t know how you expected me to react
With a smile and a hug, perhaps
Some genuine catching up of old friends
I laid it all out for you the last time
In a way I believed to be noble and complete
Whatever happens from here forth
Please understand that there were reasons for my action
Perhaps a little subconscious hurt thrown your way
In return for the hurt I’d endured
A little bit of karma in action
I know you couldn’t see
Through all of the discomfort between us
That deep down it was nice to see you again
In the flesh
The same person I so cared for once upon a time
So take good care of yourself
I’m happy to hear you’re in a better place these days
Should there be a next time, don’t worry
I promise not to turn my back again
Next time I’ll flash you a brilliant smile, I promise!
Reading this over once again, I don’t think there's anything about it I need to feel bad about writing, either on myself or on him. It's just the openness and feeling that I always express in my writing, no matter the subject. Yes, my experiences with him were some tough moments in my life and even though I’m in a good place now, contact of any sort inevitably brings back memories, bad and good. So I make no apologies for penning the piece, and I’m glad to share it once again with you.
It’s funny, but things have taken a sad turn even since I wrote the piece. After not having seen him for seven months, I ran into him three straight times at Splash, the last time being last night. Though I meant what I said in the last stanza, things haven’t gone exactly that way in subsequent encounters. There’s kind of a distant iciness there now, like we're both sort of pretending not to see each other while we’re standing just a few feet away. It's weird and uncomfortable, and no fun at all. I guess the circumstances from that night have brought us to this, starting with my reaction almost two weeks ago.
It’s a little unnerving and sad, but I guess that’s just the way it’s going to be. At least there’s just one more week of Splash Tuesdays and/or Thursdays for me, and so I’ll return to going there on Saturdays again afterwards and these random contacts shouldn’t happen anymore anyway.
Related post: Untitled
Writing Wednesdays
Well, I already missed the second week of Writing Wednesdays, and so here are links to some of the pieces I’ve been up to…
Gather
Amy Winehouse Tributes by Green Day, Coldplay and at the VMAs
Gaga’s “You and I” exemplifies her musical versatility
Spotlight on new music releases for the week of August 22nd
Preview of the 2011 VMAs
Yahoo Contributor Network
Elton John's Top Twenty Songs
Pesto: Easy, Delicious and Versatile
Volunteer's Corner: Working to Protect and Preserve the Environment of Long Island and Beyond
What Are You Listening To? Summer 2011
Examiner
Fun outdoor activities on Long Island this weekend
H is for "High Rise"
During my "Song of the Day" posting in dedication to Nick Ashford, who passed away yesterday, I mentioned another of Ashford and Simpson songs that I loved whose title just happens to start with the letter "H," the next letter in our Z-A Blogger's Challenge. Bonus! The vid's a little grainy, but the song is oh so sweet sounding! Enjoy!
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