What keeps you going? What do you live for?
As you might imagine, there were lots of different answers, from wanting to see kids grow up to getting a first tattoo to “wanting to see my nemesis die before I do.” (I especially liked that one.)
Me? While I don’t feel like I’m drowning, there’s one reason I want to keep going as long as I can.
I don’t want to miss whatever’s next. There’s still too much to do, especially with Suzi.
“Next” includes three concerts I’m really excited about: Maren Morris, Sara Bareilles and Kacey Musgraves.
The funny thing is that it wasn’t long ago that none of them would have been been on my radar, but now, I can’t wait to see them.
Not that I haven’t always appreciated music, but I’m learning more and more all the time that firing up stuff you enjoy is a wonderful way to make everything else just go away.
Plus we’re going to see NT Live productions of Phoebe Waller-Bridge performing “Fleabag” and Andrew Scott in “Present Laughter.”
But Bill, didn’t you already see “Fleabag,” live in New York, no less?
Yes … and what’s your point?
There’s a Dunkin‘ Donuts down the hill from where we live. It’s in a plaza with a grocery store, our regular drugstore, our gym and a few other places.
And as long as the weather’s good, there are always people sitting in the chairs outside the Dunkies, eating coffee and drinking doughnuts and talking about who knows what.
Plus it’s taking advantage of the awesome view of … the plaza’s parking lot. Although to be fair, I think observing any place where lots of people go in and out every day is fascinating; the only thing I found disappointing in this Natalie B. Compton article about spending 12 hours in an airport is that I didn’t think of it first.
But as Suzi and I were going to the gym the other day, she noticed the guys sitting outside and cracked that I’d soon have plenty of time to join them if I wanted, since in a few days I won’t have any plans for my weekdays.
Because being unemployed is also a “next,” not a fun one, a nerve-wracking one.
And yes, we make jokes to keep from going nuts about these kind of things, whether it’s how I need to find a new job so I can get someone to clean the leaves off my lawn once the giant tree pictured above decides to drop them, or that I could stand in for my mate Gardner’s trash day photos once his 5-year-old heads to school.
Gardner’s down for it, by the way, although he said I have to wear wild outfits and bring a stuffed animal.
Those are the things — the shows, the unemployment — that I know are going to happen. But there are the things, both good and bad, which happen every day that you can’t predict.
But you can’t experience the good without the bad — although, believe me, I’m not nearly that sedate about it when the bad is actually happening — and you miss all of it if you don’t keep going.
So every day on this side of the grass is another chance to see what’s next.
So what’s next?
A Silly Place 
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