Our title is from an excellent song “These Things” by She Wants Revenge. The song is full of truly lovely lines that each beg for explication ("I’m not a bad man, I’m just overwhelmed” is a very clever summation of the banality of evil), but the line that really caught me was

“This is the time of your life, but you just can’t tell”

That struck me. I look back on times I know I wasn’t all that ecstatic as some of the best times of my life. I mean, the 10 years I spent drinking, snorting coke and reading were certainly formative years. Just today the outreach-monkey was disgusted that I knew that Haile Selassie was a critical figure in Rastafarianism and asked how I knew "all this useless information." My answer - drinking, cocaine, Social Security checks, and reading - was clearly found wanting. In truth, that time I romanticise was also fairly lacking - money and hot chicks, among other things. Still, pretty much everything I've ever learned dates to that time.

As I walked on, iPod spinning lovely tunes (as it turns out I think that I have pretty good taste in music). I realized that things are pretty cool around here and perhaps the trick to get through life (if living long enough to die of old age actually constitutes “getting through”) is to accept this as you go along.

Which is why I enjoyed my walk to work this morning in excessive amounts…

For an old fat guy with questionable knees, I enjoy walking immoderately, and it was a lovely day. I tripped on the 50's era signs on Big Car Avenue (Stupid set of photos certainly in the near future), nibbled my bagel and sipped my coffee. I stopped at Major Retail/Housing Project to type some notes on my laptop and make use of their excellently clean restrooms.
I was late to work and no one gave a damn, I knew I'd chat with the techsupp boys later and the BAG would be coming around in the evening.

Not a bad day, really.

As Ice Cube might have said...

Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp
And it read Ice Cube's a pimp
Drunk as hell but no throwing up
Half way home and my pager still blowing up
Today I didn't even have to use my A.K.
I got to say it was a good day.

Or, perhaps closer to reality...

"Keep Yourself Alive"
(bonus Wikipedia Link for MAF)