Peaceful As A Hurricane Eye

As I write these words I sit half lotus on a large black leather chair, I lean forward on my desk, enjoy a newly bought (at ShopRite) scented candle (Village Candle Company, Crisp Apple). When/how did I become a fan of scented candles? This candle is impressive in terms of style (two wicks), look (red in rounded glass jar) , and price (cheap, don't remember more than that).

CBS radio news is blaring eclectic stories about damage done by today's wind . I am five, waiting for my mother to pick me up from Heller Hebrew Academy. I'm scared, convinced the wind is blowing me away.

A friend from Israel is in America and just called me while driving. Been a long time since he first appeared at my Bayside door in the late eighties and asked if I knew how to get to Boston, where we were both to be part of a learning/teaching program. I said what I usually say when asked if I know how to get somewhere, "No." Uninterrupted, he answered his own question, "I know, don't worry. I think you turn when you hit Connecticut. Do you know where to buy Shoes? I have to stop for dress shoes."

Epiphany. Deciduous. These words come into my mind and I go to dictionary.com to make sure I'm not dreaming. It's funny, but not funny ha-ha, how I remember the moments when I learned a word the first time.

One day a mentor/friend spoke of epiphany. I asked and he explained, in a typically epiphany lined moment: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

A dear deciduous friend wrote something about mothers, children, and the deciduous reality of that relationship, then explained: shedding the leaves annually as certain trees and shrubs, general falling off or shedding at a particular season, stage of growth, as leaves, horns, or teeth, not permanent; transitory.

At this moment Paul Simon is singing from my TV monitor about Roy not needing to be coy, which reminds me of Dylan singing, "You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy,You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy." This prompts me to look up the lyrics:

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk,

You may be the head of some big TV network,

You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame,

You may be living in another country under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

You're gonna have to serve somebody,

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the L-rd

But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

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Which reminds me of, "Anu ratzim, veheim ratzim..." - one way or another in life we are ultimately running - positive or negative - someplace .

I was thinking earlier of watching/listening to either a concert of the Eagles or Paul Simon, both of which I own on VHS. Not long ago I inched my foot into the waters of the 21st century and now watch DVDs, it having been some time, since I viewed a video. I couldn't find Hell Freezes Over, so I went with Simon. As I tried to put You're The One into the video slot , I saw a video in there and had to let it out. It was The Eagles.

'

Paul Simon is singing, "These are the days of miracles and wonder, so don't cry baby don't cry."

;

"Old friends, like bookends"

New friends like what? Maybe books.

We read each other