Artifacts from a former time

Who is who and what is what? Why was then and how is now? Is time linear? Or do all the random moments bounce endlessly around the universe like racketballs in the court of heaven?

It's that time of year: the winter solstice. Time for gelt and time for santa claus. Our access to light is as tiny as it gets in this hemisphere; our only recourse is to hold on, because soon after the shortest day of the year finishes, we can feel the light earlier and later, every morning and every night.

Often, I think what my last breath might be like. Who will be there with me? I hope I do not die as James Kim did, alone in an alien environment, desperate and spent, trying to save my family but unable even to save myself. To me, his story is the tragedy of our year. How sad that a sweet, decent man died that way.

But he made a wrong turn. And as Dylan has sung, there's hopelessness awaiting each of us when we go the wrong way.

Today I found my little girl staring at the wall next to her bed. She was rereading a message she has read a hundred times before. It's the holiday season, so I guess she is feeling sentimental. She pulled out board games and tried to convince her brothers to play.

Finally, I gave in and let her send an email to the person she was missing so much, even though I know this is probably the last thing that one would want to recieve.




I've created my own holiday card!

Anyone who reads this blog, please send me an email (or a comment below) with your address (anonymous identity is fine) and I promise to send you a signed copy. Though to be quite honest, I'm not sure why anyone would do so.

I gave myself a Christmas present. It was an album that I'd given away, with special songs filled with special meanings. Tonight Julia danced to one of the songs, from the politically incorrect Supertramp.



Everything comes around again. Nothing is forgotten. No matter what else, the beat always goes on.

-30-

p.s. あなたの誕生日第四十三にあたって...I am excited to be going to Japan soon!