One good reason for working is it keeps me from answering phone calls. Some of my friends understand but most don't. I miss a lot of things about Southern California, I have for years. I miss seeing the never ending changes and I miss the surf. Yow! I really miss the surf.
I miss sitting out on my board and waiting for sets. I miss sitting out there with friends. I miss sitting out there alone.
I miss the mountains and the high desert. I miss the music and skies filled with more stars than I had hopes.
But right now life feels thin but it feels like life. I feel something instead of the overwhelming numbness. I like Europe and what I accomplished there but I didn't feel alive.
I do now. And a dog found me and we take walks and take care of each other.
It feels grim at times and hopeless, but for a lot of years the losses have made me feel like an automaton. I had a comfortable life that insulated me from feeling much of anything. Anything. Something is better than nothing.
So I'm okay. Stop using up my bandwidth just to see how I'm doing. I'm doing fine. Send me more email. I like email and I like text messages. Those are great too. I have a nice dog with a stupid sense of humor. I get to meet people and, sometimes, I get to work. I can't think of much more I want that I don't already have. That doesn't include as many friends as I can get.
Look, if you read the newspaper and you don't see a story that says I was killed by a rampaging crocodile or a blown up by a disgruntled postal worker you should lean back in your chair, put your feet up, clasp your hands over your chest and say, “Well, at least David is having a great day."