I'm a grown up

It’s weird to me that people were born in the 1990’s. I mean, I get it. People are born every year. But I have friends on facebook that entered the world when I was entering high school. Jeeze.

Sometimes I do not mind being old. Like tonight, for example. It is the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day and the bars were packed this evening as I walked through Center City. People seemed to be having a good time as they spilled out of the doorways onto the sidewalks wearing shamrocks and green beads, but I was glad that I had other evening plans. I went to the ballet with my friend Becky and it was extraordinary. The performance was a tribute to Chopin and the choreography and costumes and lighting were outstanding. The music of Chopin is romantic, but has enough dissonance to keep things interesting. I cannot believe that ballet has the capacity to be hilarious as well as deeply moving.

I have been thinking lately that it would be nice if everyone in the world, just for one day, would wear a tee-shirt with their state-of-being printed on the front. I think the entire world should be given black tee-shirts with white block lettering. We could imagine the words and miraculously they would appear.

Think of how much compassion we might feel for another!

Cancer diagnosis today.
Pregnant. Unplanned. Sh%$.
I am so lonely.
She said yes!!
I lost my job. Terrified.
Joy. Absolute joy.
Lost.
Confused.
Full of regret.
I am a fraud.
I just left the church.
I just left my wife.
New boyfriend.
Just got out of jail. Scared.
Addicted. Need help.

I’m not brave enough to tell you what my tee-shirt would say today. I wonder what yours would say?