Writing Miles

we've been conditioned to rush through everything like a cheap piece of candy that quickly satisfies and rots your teeth. savor what you experience. honor what's there. the afterward is just as important as the during and the beginning. 

i have to remember consuming good things inspires me to act. it fills me up to move in some way. whether to create myself or sit in reflection. just like a good meal can give you energy and drive, or it can leave you napping on a Sunday afternoon.

Plane files above. The ocean waves run up and down the beach. Each crash sounds like applause. It's made a long journey from the deep to reach the shore. Now it lands celebrating and grabbing grains of sand to claim for the sea. Each grain and each speck represents a reward for long travels. A token of accomplishment. "Success," the sea shouts. Rejoicing every time it breaks upon the shore. Sailboats float gently on the horizon. Like their flying in the sky. Just high enough to move effortlessly with no friction. Freedom to move to and fro in the expanse. Resting gracefully on the earth's blue blanket of a dress. Wrapping all around, hugging the depths and wonders of hidden valleys. A lady picks up a seashell and continues to walk next to her husband. She keeps the former shield of a tiny creature as a precious reminder of their intimate time together. A keepsake. Another token to go amongst the rest of her collection. A storehouse of memories. It fills up a small shoe box holding the past. It's beautiful, but the story is lost in the abundance of memories. 

"Excuse me. Do you mind if I sit here?" I walked up to the bar with a stool in my hand. Pointing at an empty space next to a light skinned woman with short hair. She had walked into the restaurant about 20 minutes ago and ordered a drink. She sipped her glass and played on her phone. I couldn't tell if she was bored, waiting, or just hoping someone would walk up and talk to her.

"Oh, sure. Go right ahead." She scooted away from me and wrapped her hands around the almost empty glass she was drinking out of. A crowd of middle aged Caucasians crowded around us. A lady barked at the bartender that she wanted salt on her margarita. I personally preferred sugar.

"Sorry to bother you, but are you waiting for someone? It's okay if you are, I am too. Just wanted to kill some time sharing a moment. You know, a conversation with someone." I didn't make eye contact with her until the end of my sentence. She smiled, "Well that's kind of you. No, I'm not. Who are you waiting for?" The bartender came by and asked if I wanted anything. I asked for a glass of water and then answered the lady's question, "A birthday party. Dinner, rather. I've been here for close to an hour."

"Wow. You sure you didn't get stood up?" She asked looking at her watch. I laughed, "I hope not! My ride home was supposed to be coming here too. That would be terrible." She chuckled and took a sip of her drink. The bartender came back with my water and asked her if she wanted another Lime Vodka with apple juice. She hesitated. "If you get another drink I'll pay for it. It's the least I could do for using your time." I offered adjusting in my stool. I slide my glass of water to the end of the bar. My elbow was resting in the corner with my back facing the hostess. I figured I should buy something soon before they thought I was a freeloader of some sense. I'm sure they thought I was getting stood up as well, since I asked about a table of 6 more than an hour ago, "No, my party isn't here yet. I'll just wait at the bar."She looked at her phone and then responded, "Uh...sure. You're not going to let me drink alone though, are you?"

"I'll have a rum and coke, sir." I smiled at the bartender who nodded affirmatively. He started whipping up the drinks in typical bartender fashion. A lot of pizzazz for drink pouring and mixing. The slightest mistake could ruin a drink though. I honored those bartenders who gave the right mix of spirit and beverage. Too much or too little was a disaster you would always regret paying for. I took a drink from my water when the lady next to me started to speak, "So have you been hear before?"

"All the time! I love this place," I lied confidently while choking on a swallow of water. She raised her eye brows in curiosity. I'm not sure if she wanted to know if I was telling the truth or if I needed help. "No, I'm sorry, I've never been here before. I didn't know this place existed until earlier this week. You seem comfortable, are you a regular?" The bartender placed her fresh glass of Lime Vodka and apple juice in front of her.

"I've been here a few times. It's a nice place. They have pretty good drinks. It's usually more crowded than this," she explained while the group of people behind us grew in a swell of laughter. "James, you're such an idiot!" The salt lady barked several times.

"You don't say? So, what brings you out again tonight? Waiting on a date or something?" I asked taking a sip of my rum and coke. It wasn't mixed too well. Oh well, there goes 6 bucks.

"No, no, this is just my post work treat. I like to catch the happy hour deals." She said clasping her hands around the fresh glass. She made her self small on the stool.

"Oh nice, that's cool. When is the happy hour usually? Till about 7pm or so?" I asked deceptively.

"Yeah, something like that. Where are your party people?" She said trying to change the subject and pull attention away from the fact she was being stood up. The happy hour ended an hour ago when I showed up to the restaurant initially.

"That's a great question," I chuckled. "I have no clue. But, hey, if they stand me up, I'll be free to enjoy another drink with you." I smiled lifting my glass up in a toasting gesture. She smiled and tapped my glass with hers. The large group behind us moved on to be seated in the dinning room. There was an awkward moment that filled the space between the lady and myself. "Do you have plans for the holidays?" I said attempting to spark the interaction up again. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold it together, before I let my introvert take the wheel again.

"I'm heading out of town to visit family actually. It's a tradition of ours." She said with interest in her voice.

"Oh, nice. Where too?"

"Florida. So looking forward to it. I hate the cold."

"Wow, that's really nice! I don't know if I could do that. Christmas without the cold is like an oxymoron to me."

"Oh, no! It's the best. I wouldn't want it any other way. Palm trees, sand, and family. What else do you need?" She said excitedly.

"I guess Santa just wears a speedo and flip-flops when he flies down that way."

"Most definitely!" She giggled. "What about you?" She asked in response. I was trying to think of an interesting answer. It would be another lie, but I had to keep the conversation going somehow. This was the only way I could pass the time till my tardy friends decided to show up. "Nothing." I laughed. My introvert was eager to turn away from this lady, finish my drink, and awkwardly end the conversation by walking out. "It's terrible, I know, but I don't really have any holiday traditions. For the past few years I've done something different. The last time I did anything 'Traditional' was when I was ten." "Now that's just sad!" She said shaking her head.

I chuckled some more. "Why do you say that?"

"Christmas is the one time out of the year that's supposed to be traditional. The whole country knows that. Even the president is lighting the national tree tonight. You need to find something to do," she said jokingly. "Well Florida sounds nice!" I shot back with a smile. "I'm a nice guy, maybe I can join you."

"Yeah, my family would love that. 'Hey everybody, this is random guy I met at a bar. Just wanted to invite him to the festivities." She said sarcastically. Her second drink was almost finished. I was still nursing my rum and coke. I was spending too much time trying to keep the conversation interesting. "I'm sure that would be exciting. A little change to traditions can't hurt. Have you invited a guy to join you before?"

"No way! I haven't found anyone worth the plane ticket. Even if they bought it themselves I would still tell them know. I am not ready to deal with the stress of my family probing and prodding. I'll just go and enjoy the sunshine drama free, thank you." She took one final drink from her glass.