I am afraid I am a bit…. let’s say….”reflective” today. But then again, I am on my 5th straight week of travel and I had to redirect to Los Angeles instead of going straight home….BAH.
Lyrics from Time After Time
Okay, no whining! I sit back in my coach seat with the headphones on. The song is Javier Colon’s version of ‘Time After Time’. The lyrics talk about trust between two. I like my music soft and gentle but I now have it cranked up a bit to drown out the noise behind me. Can you believe the guy is actually singing or is that pain? I am not sure but it is annoying in these tight quarters. Sorry, I digress. I think, okay just one more day, and now I hear dreamy music that sets my thoughts to ideas of getting home and calling for a date night with my wife; holding hands across the table…..
I smile at a memory …. We were sitting in a favorite restaurant where we scored a booth. We sat across from each other and quietly talked about our daughter’s upcoming wedding. I remember she wore a very nice outfit with a shimmery top and I in slacks and jacket. I don’t remember all of the conversation because I was nervously waiting for the right time to spring a surprise on her. As she spoke, I smiled and slowly slid my hand from hers and into my coat pocket, slowly retrieving a box. I then reach for her hand again and place the box within. I remember the wonderfully wrapped box, the gasp and “Oh my!”, the smile and, what I always wait for, the twinkle that comes to her beautiful eyes. It was a ‘Mother of the Bride’ ring. Then, choking back tears, we smiled at each other and she stretched across the table to offer me her lips. We sat back and finished our dinner. When the plates were cleared, we were approached by a lady, who must have been watching us from her seat, and came up to ask if we just got engaged because she saw what happened and couldn’t help asking. She said she could see the happiness in us…. We laughed and told her our story. I like surprises. I like to give them…being unexpected.
Now the song is Mozart’s ‘Clarinet Concerto’…..a game changer! I am not kidding. This is the one song that always makes me stop wherever I am, whatever I am doing, close my eyes and think of her…I smile. If you are not familiar with the music, there is this one clarinet that calls out for others to follow. It sets a phrase that is repeated by a cascade of instruments. Slow and melodic, it tells a story. If you surround yourself with the music, you can feel the effect. It is a story of one that becomes all, one that speaks of intimacy, playfulness, and hope. The music makes you feel like, together, anything is possible. It always chokes me up.
Journey's "When you love a Woman"
Whew! So moving on….I do like being unexpected but, I guess my wife is used to the craziness within me. I do like to surprise her with flowers but not on expected dates, with random ideas that confound her, I desperately want to make her laugh. I must admit I don’t know what the “perfect” husband is like but (as Journey put it) when you love a woman, you see your world inside her eyes! I do know that if I fall, she will be there to catch me and if I am lost, I will be able to find her.
A Voyage To Retirement 