One Year of Prime
One Year of Prime
A friend of mine and I cannot say for certain who it was as I have had my way with many a computer over the last few months, gifted a program to me via their hard drive entitled Freaks and Geeks. Within the show there are numerous future stars and the creator director is someone of considerable note at this time. From what I gather the show only lasted one season and I am fastly approaching the final episode of the season. The show is based in the early 80's and chronicles the experiences of a group of people in different stages of High School.....Wonder Years with an 80's feel....a bit more less family friendly but who could measure up to the innocence of Kevin and Winnie?? The Wonder Years merits a novel within itself......so last night......
I had finished a tutoring session with a woman in town who teaches English in a school two hours from her home....she wakes up at 4:30 every morning to make her commute and returns home each night between 6:30 and 7:00 PM.....she does all this to provide for her family...she teaches a language she knows nothing of. Quite a useless and trying endeavor for her and her students I would imagine, but her sacrifice for her family was evident to me through nothing more than her want for improvement before I left her humble home. On my way back to my quarters I was drawn into a fiesta celebrating the birthday of someone who had passed away. I of course not knowing this took it as a straight birthday party and was eager to seek out and congratulate whoever it was who had reached another milestone...so Gringo Godzilla tramped through the gala asking whose birthday it was until someone was able to communicate to me it was the birthday of that man....the one of the picture on the wall- his widow/family were celebrating without him in this world. Although it is a standard practice here it did not stop me from feeling oddly and warm about the situation. Here was a group gathered on a Wednesday night to celebrate the life of someone who had gone before them...to remember a life through a party. I spoke briefly to the widow...not knowing if condolences were in order or just a simple thank you for having me into her home. I settled on simply asking if he was a good man...it was something I could communicate easily and seemed like a relevant question. The woman indicated he was a very serious, very hard working man, an uncle in attendance added he would have welcomed the thought of having a gringo at his absentee party with a laugh. I took in a few beers, shared one overly exotic dance with a generously husky woman at least 50 years old and left in high spirits. Upon returning home it was close to ten when I settled into my cradle bed to take in an episode of the above mentioned Freeks and Geeks. Within this episode one of the main characters was finally nearing a success with his long time crush...a girl more popular than him, and in the upper atmosphere of cool in the realm of High School. The whole episode was about kissing...the first kiss....how, when, who......and when it ceased I found myself perched in my nest with a smile as he did in fact secure the kiss. I recalled my first kiss and the absurd circumstances behind it......I was 17....a late bloomer.....until 17 I was short....pimply....and floating somewhere between the world of cool and awkward never quite finding a place to land-so basically the same as I am today….. I recalled how my father inadvertently foiled what I thought was the guaranteed first kiss moment as my girlfriend and I were visiting a teacher of ours who lived only two blocks from my father one night...and as we walked hand and hand back to my dad’s apartment I pulled her back and when the moment came...the moment when nothing but silence, when time seems to cease was upon me....my father’s voice came crashing into the air from his door "what are you doing down there" I doubt he recalls this.....I certainly do......and I have thought about it frequently over the years.....fondly. I of course did finally get my first kiss...it was outside the freehold raceway mall-mid day,.....time did stand still, silence seemed to surround me, and I do not think the feeling could ever be replicated.
I then thought about all the times in between.....what happened between this woman’s first kiss and this night of celebrating the birthday of her now deceased husband. Were they good years?, was she happy with her life, what has happened to me since my days of innocence and the time in between? When people inquire about me years from now will I be dubbed a good man.....and when I am old and grey (already bald) will I fondly reminisce or burn with regrets? I suppose it will be a combination of both.....regret serves little purpose beyond serving as an anchor to possibility- but it exists at times for myself and I am sure many others. What significance is my life and what of yours? Do my intentions reflect through my actions and vice versa.....who is to say I suppose. I hope that woman felt a warmth looking upon her former husband last eve...I hope one day someone looks upon me the same. I know I am fortunate to have a number of people I can view in that light now and do not have to wait until the future. In the mean time I will continue stumbling through time….tripping over life, getting up so I can do it all over again.
On a side note....I was in my capital city this weekend but failed to purchase deadorant....I simply did not think of it....so on Sunday I recalled what luck I had when I remembered that my original host family had gifted my deodarant as one of my going away gifts.....she was the equivalent of an avon lady...not because I smelled awry. Much to my dismay when I went for my first application I realized it is essentially a womens roll on stick. I was unaware when I first recieved it because my Spanish was so lacking I just assumed the purple color represented the brand...the words had no meaning. So for the next week I will have a lavender sented womens roll on scent......yesterday I questioned internally at least three times in my mind where the flower like aroma was coming from before recalling I was sporting the new aroma.
A friend of mine and I cannot say for certain who it was as I have had my way with many a computer over the last few months, gifted a program to me via their hard drive entitled Freaks and Geeks. Within the show there are numerous future stars and the creator director is someone of considerable note at this time. From what I gather the show only lasted one season and I am fastly approaching the final episode of the season. The show is based in the early 80's and chronicles the experiences of a group of people in different stages of High School.....Wonder Years with an 80's feel....a bit more less family friendly but who could measure up to the innocence of Kevin and Winnie?? The Wonder Years merits a novel within itself......so last night......
I had finished a tutoring session with a woman in town who teaches English in a school two hours from her home....she wakes up at 4:30 every morning to make her commute and returns home each night between 6:30 and 7:00 PM.....she does all this to provide for her family...she teaches a language she knows nothing of. Quite a useless and trying endeavor for her and her students I would imagine, but her sacrifice for her family was evident to me through nothing more than her want for improvement before I left her humble home. On my way back to my quarters I was drawn into a fiesta celebrating the birthday of someone who had passed away. I of course not knowing this took it as a straight birthday party and was eager to seek out and congratulate whoever it was who had reached another milestone...so Gringo Godzilla tramped through the gala asking whose birthday it was until someone was able to communicate to me it was the birthday of that man....the one of the picture on the wall- his widow/family were celebrating without him in this world. Although it is a standard practice here it did not stop me from feeling oddly and warm about the situation. Here was a group gathered on a Wednesday night to celebrate the life of someone who had gone before them...to remember a life through a party. I spoke briefly to the widow...not knowing if condolences were in order or just a simple thank you for having me into her home. I settled on simply asking if he was a good man...it was something I could communicate easily and seemed like a relevant question. The woman indicated he was a very serious, very hard working man, an uncle in attendance added he would have welcomed the thought of having a gringo at his absentee party with a laugh. I took in a few beers, shared one overly exotic dance with a generously husky woman at least 50 years old and left in high spirits. Upon returning home it was close to ten when I settled into my cradle bed to take in an episode of the above mentioned Freeks and Geeks. Within this episode one of the main characters was finally nearing a success with his long time crush...a girl more popular than him, and in the upper atmosphere of cool in the realm of High School. The whole episode was about kissing...the first kiss....how, when, who......and when it ceased I found myself perched in my nest with a smile as he did in fact secure the kiss. I recalled my first kiss and the absurd circumstances behind it......I was 17....a late bloomer.....until 17 I was short....pimply....and floating somewhere between the world of cool and awkward never quite finding a place to land-so basically the same as I am today….. I recalled how my father inadvertently foiled what I thought was the guaranteed first kiss moment as my girlfriend and I were visiting a teacher of ours who lived only two blocks from my father one night...and as we walked hand and hand back to my dad’s apartment I pulled her back and when the moment came...the moment when nothing but silence, when time seems to cease was upon me....my father’s voice came crashing into the air from his door "what are you doing down there" I doubt he recalls this.....I certainly do......and I have thought about it frequently over the years.....fondly. I of course did finally get my first kiss...it was outside the freehold raceway mall-mid day,.....time did stand still, silence seemed to surround me, and I do not think the feeling could ever be replicated.
I then thought about all the times in between.....what happened between this woman’s first kiss and this night of celebrating the birthday of her now deceased husband. Were they good years?, was she happy with her life, what has happened to me since my days of innocence and the time in between? When people inquire about me years from now will I be dubbed a good man.....and when I am old and grey (already bald) will I fondly reminisce or burn with regrets? I suppose it will be a combination of both.....regret serves little purpose beyond serving as an anchor to possibility- but it exists at times for myself and I am sure many others. What significance is my life and what of yours? Do my intentions reflect through my actions and vice versa.....who is to say I suppose. I hope that woman felt a warmth looking upon her former husband last eve...I hope one day someone looks upon me the same. I know I am fortunate to have a number of people I can view in that light now and do not have to wait until the future. In the mean time I will continue stumbling through time….tripping over life, getting up so I can do it all over again.
On a side note....I was in my capital city this weekend but failed to purchase deadorant....I simply did not think of it....so on Sunday I recalled what luck I had when I remembered that my original host family had gifted my deodarant as one of my going away gifts.....she was the equivalent of an avon lady...not because I smelled awry. Much to my dismay when I went for my first application I realized it is essentially a womens roll on stick. I was unaware when I first recieved it because my Spanish was so lacking I just assumed the purple color represented the brand...the words had no meaning. So for the next week I will have a lavender sented womens roll on scent......yesterday I questioned internally at least three times in my mind where the flower like aroma was coming from before recalling I was sporting the new aroma.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI am a college student in Rochester, NY. For my American Studies class, we have a project based on the Peace Corps, and we have to examine various journals. I came across your journals, and it would be really helpful if you could answer a few questions about your experience for me! My email is jmc08384@sjfc.edu if you are interested in talking about your experience please send me an email! Thank you!