One of those days where everything just seems to go right. certainly we’re on a high from the upcoming tours and the release of NIC. But today was something special. You know, I was in the bath... and I just had this realization [reminds me to finish the Bathtub Revelations—remember that series... I never did finish that...] that I could stop all the thinking. there I was sitting there, groggy and slant-eyed, nursing an espresso, my mind racing a hundred miles an hour as usual. Trying to figure it all out. figure it all out. figure it all out. and then I just sat up and felt this knowing. Just like, o.k. its time to stop. There's nothing to figure out here. we’re there. we’re just totally there already. We’ve done the work. We have the tools. We’ve paid the dues. Just let it go bro and move on. So all day I'm on this high. Just enjoying the day. enjoying the wins. Enjoying the goals achieved rather than obsessing on the goals not yet achieved. For one brief moment of a few hours in time I was allowing myself to feel that ‘everything’s alright.’ Is it really all in our attitude? In the way that we look at it? could it be that easy?

I'm in my car. In the parking lot of some plaza. Top down. Talking on the phone. I can see some old guy walking up behind me. he's staring at the back of my car. I have a few stickers on the bumper. He's probably going to start speaking to me in Italian since I have an Italy sticker on there. He comes up to my door and says “what kind of a revolution?” he is referring to the sticker that says “Stop bitching and start a revolution.” I heard him the first time, but I ask “what” by obligation. (why do we always do that?) He has a strong Spanish accent. We start speaking in Spanglish. He in English and me in Spanish. Better that way. when in doubt we switch. “where are you from? I ask. I am American but my family is from Cuba. Miami is the only city in America where someone can be born here but still speak with such a strong accent that you cannot understand what they are saying... “what kind of a revolution?” he asks again. “Depends on the situation, I guess.” I respond. “I'll tell you this.”? he says. “I tell my children, if this country doesn’t make a one hundred and eighty degree turn soon, its going to be complete chaos.” “yep.” Is all I say. I think he’s one of us. But here's the deal. I continue listening to him and pretty soon I realize that he's basically touting a republican agenda. “people don't realize what the world is like in other countries. Like Cuba. Over there they have an extreme dictatorship. Here we have an extreme democracy.” I keep listening. “the country is going downhill fast I'm afraid.” he tells me. I agree with him but for completely opposite reasons. Fascinating. He starts going on about same sex marriages. “How can these people think that marriage is anything but between a man and wife?” I am respectful. I just say, “yeah.” I agree that the country needs help and needs a one hundred and eighty degree turn but in the opposite direction than he does. Anything but equal rights for same sex marriages is an abominable idea I think. Marriage solely being between a man and a woman is such an archaic idea. So here we are... chatting in a parking lot with an immediate and mutual simpatico; but just completely different agendas. I found it uncanny. Good guy I'm thinking. but how can he be so off base? Maybe its me who’s off base... “How old do you think I am he asks me?” “I don't know, maybe 65,” I answer. “I'm 77 years old” he says. And he makes a muscle with his bicep and throws it in my face to feel it. I feel his muscle out of respect. Wow. Strong. I say. Reminded me of my grandfather. He always used to do the same thing right up until he passed on. “we need to swing away from this extreme democracy” he tells me. “obtain more balance in the country. You know what happened to Rome?” he asks me. we talk some more. I don't tell him what kind of revolution I'm thinking of for the country. he’d probably have a heart attack. Extreme democracy? I'm thinking. I think we’re close to a goddamned dictatorship at this point. We need more democracy. Funny. I took this encounter as a reminder. Of what I have no fucking clue.