4 Years?
Ok, this whole thread is going to be a bit esoteric and abstract, so if you're not into that, you can probably tune out and use your time to better advantage and organize your sock drawer.
Regarding the title, it's not actually been 4 years yet, in fact, only 3 in October, but today, cinco de Julio I signed my lease for another year which will take me through 4 years - yes, the guy who packed his trailer, Jeep and cat and headed to MX for 6 months to see if he could make it? - well, guess it's working.
But, on a more ethereal level, do you ever have times, generally, when you're alone and it's quiet, that you suddenly feel yourself "out of body" looking at yourself as an abstract person? No, well, then you ain't lived or taken serious account of who you are, where you are and what's going on around you.
The first time I can remember this happening was in Chicago, probably in late '77 or early '78 when I first moved there and started my sales career. I had ridden the NW train line from Barrington into the city which terminates at Monroe St station. This in itself is a rush for a kid from NE, all these trains (not just one at 2pm each day?) and all these tracks coming in underground to the massive train station.
The precursor to this,one of my first trips into the Chicago downtown, was, I went to the Barrington station, got my ticket and went out onto the platform to see groups of people standing approximately 40' apart? - ok, having no idea what this meant I quietly joined one of them. Then the train arrived, it stopped as programmed in exactly the right place for these groups of people to simply step onto the car they wanted to ride? - wow, now that in itself was a trip. Then, the cars were two levels with an opening between in the ceiling. People drapped their coats over the railings and settled for the hour ride to the "Loop".
Two things I also noticed was that people slipped their tickets into a clip on the back of the seat ahead of them for easy access for the conductor to access - I followed in step.
Earlier I had noticed it seemed to be the custom to buy a paper at the station, so I had mine in hand, actually folded underarm as was customary, and I watched as people settled in and began to read the morning news. Now, here began a challenge, they seemed to fold it in quarters top to bottom so as not to infringe on the neighbors space - I followed the model. They read the stories and then swapped the paper front to back to read on and then continued the process. Obviously this was a wonderful learned exercise that basked in decades of commuter history (of which I was a total neophyte).
So, I folded my paper, started reading and then swapped it front to back and read on - then repeating this time honored ritual I continued - with one small problem, there was something amiss in my technique, I realized I was reading the same story again? - and again - no panic, I acted like I knew what I was doing and by the time we reached Monroe St station I had read the same story at least 6 times and even with that, I don't remember what it said?
Oh well, on with the story.
I disembarked, flowing with the multitudes of business clad people up and out of the station and across the draw bridge across the Chicago river which is a story in itself, there are several draw bridges on the river flanking the west side of the Loop, if a tiny sailboat with a tall mast wants to come through, the draw bridges open and thousands of people and traffic come to a halt as this small puddle jumper goes under - now man, that's power!
I crossed that day and rather than go to my companies office in the Nortrust building next to the (then) Sears Tower I walked on over to State St and there I suddenly stood, a kid from Nebraska with a 3 piece pin stripe suit, an overcoat, briefcase and I was facing the Chicago Board of Trade, an icon in the world of business and I wondered "how the heck did I get here?" - and that's what I mean by standing on the outside looking into yourself - now, that's an epiphany!!!!!!
It's happened several times since then, and to be honest I guess it happens more often as I grow (gracefully?) older and look at myself from a distance.
And, so it was today as I walked the cobblestone streets of Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexiso as a resident, completely at home, a person knowledgeable of the village, it's history and where to get this or that. How could this happen to me? - I darn sure didn't plan this, EVER?
And later I was sitting on the couch downstairs looking out over the pool to the lake and the mountains on the S shore and again I wondered, and almost marveled, at the fact I was sitting there living this life - sometimes it seems I'm looking at someone else's life, someone else I don't even know?
Ok, so it's my world, but it's fun and it often amazes even me.
PS: Oh, add to that as I type this I'm listening to XM radio 40's music which is playing Ballin' the Jack with Georgia Gibbs 1946? - Man, I ain't that old - but I do like the music, maybe I had a previous life?
Regarding the title, it's not actually been 4 years yet, in fact, only 3 in October, but today, cinco de Julio I signed my lease for another year which will take me through 4 years - yes, the guy who packed his trailer, Jeep and cat and headed to MX for 6 months to see if he could make it? - well, guess it's working.
But, on a more ethereal level, do you ever have times, generally, when you're alone and it's quiet, that you suddenly feel yourself "out of body" looking at yourself as an abstract person? No, well, then you ain't lived or taken serious account of who you are, where you are and what's going on around you.
The first time I can remember this happening was in Chicago, probably in late '77 or early '78 when I first moved there and started my sales career. I had ridden the NW train line from Barrington into the city which terminates at Monroe St station. This in itself is a rush for a kid from NE, all these trains (not just one at 2pm each day?) and all these tracks coming in underground to the massive train station.
The precursor to this,one of my first trips into the Chicago downtown, was, I went to the Barrington station, got my ticket and went out onto the platform to see groups of people standing approximately 40' apart? - ok, having no idea what this meant I quietly joined one of them. Then the train arrived, it stopped as programmed in exactly the right place for these groups of people to simply step onto the car they wanted to ride? - wow, now that in itself was a trip. Then, the cars were two levels with an opening between in the ceiling. People drapped their coats over the railings and settled for the hour ride to the "Loop".
Two things I also noticed was that people slipped their tickets into a clip on the back of the seat ahead of them for easy access for the conductor to access - I followed in step.
Earlier I had noticed it seemed to be the custom to buy a paper at the station, so I had mine in hand, actually folded underarm as was customary, and I watched as people settled in and began to read the morning news. Now, here began a challenge, they seemed to fold it in quarters top to bottom so as not to infringe on the neighbors space - I followed the model. They read the stories and then swapped the paper front to back to read on and then continued the process. Obviously this was a wonderful learned exercise that basked in decades of commuter history (of which I was a total neophyte).
So, I folded my paper, started reading and then swapped it front to back and read on - then repeating this time honored ritual I continued - with one small problem, there was something amiss in my technique, I realized I was reading the same story again? - and again - no panic, I acted like I knew what I was doing and by the time we reached Monroe St station I had read the same story at least 6 times and even with that, I don't remember what it said?
Oh well, on with the story.
I disembarked, flowing with the multitudes of business clad people up and out of the station and across the draw bridge across the Chicago river which is a story in itself, there are several draw bridges on the river flanking the west side of the Loop, if a tiny sailboat with a tall mast wants to come through, the draw bridges open and thousands of people and traffic come to a halt as this small puddle jumper goes under - now man, that's power!
I crossed that day and rather than go to my companies office in the Nortrust building next to the (then) Sears Tower I walked on over to State St and there I suddenly stood, a kid from Nebraska with a 3 piece pin stripe suit, an overcoat, briefcase and I was facing the Chicago Board of Trade, an icon in the world of business and I wondered "how the heck did I get here?" - and that's what I mean by standing on the outside looking into yourself - now, that's an epiphany!!!!!!
It's happened several times since then, and to be honest I guess it happens more often as I grow (gracefully?) older and look at myself from a distance.
And, so it was today as I walked the cobblestone streets of Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexiso as a resident, completely at home, a person knowledgeable of the village, it's history and where to get this or that. How could this happen to me? - I darn sure didn't plan this, EVER?
And later I was sitting on the couch downstairs looking out over the pool to the lake and the mountains on the S shore and again I wondered, and almost marveled, at the fact I was sitting there living this life - sometimes it seems I'm looking at someone else's life, someone else I don't even know?
Ok, so it's my world, but it's fun and it often amazes even me.
PS: Oh, add to that as I type this I'm listening to XM radio 40's music which is playing Ballin' the Jack with Georgia Gibbs 1946? - Man, I ain't that old - but I do like the music, maybe I had a previous life?
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