At first a part of the ocean seems to bubble like water on a stove. It shimmers then bubbles and then ... the blue hanging above it gets bluer ... lighter and lighter until there is this sliver of orange rising out of the bubbles. It lays them to rest as it rises. In just a couple of minutes the large orange ball stand on the sea announcing a new day has arrived. The chance to start again is here ... do what you will with it.
Then the orange becomes yellow. It sprinkles diamonds on the water. It chases shadows from the leaves of the trees. It shines through the shades of sleeping people tickling them awake. It makes some cuss and pull pillows over their heads. It rises quickly and a new day is born.
I'm back on the east coast and all is right with the world. The sun rises where it is supposed to. Goddess was lying beside me when I woke. The bed I slept in was full of warmth and love. The sober bicycle was waiting as though a chariot. My family at the Breakfast Club was waiting when I stumbled in. Johnny O had made plans. Everybody was still talking about the party. Dave and Sandi came in for hugs and laughs. Afterwards I coast to the ocean and pause with my bare feet in the sand.
I sigh and say a prayer to God. "Damn it's good to be home."
Peddling back home I fall into the routine. Goddess gets her walk and a visit to the sad little holy dock. The plants get watered. The outdoor shower baptizes me. Whispers of "Good Morning" and love are wished. Just as I start to work ... Goddess starts scratching and pawing wanting a treat. So I get up and give her one then get back to work.
Yesterday at this time I was sitting in a coffee shop with the famous Dr. Jim Withers, the originator of Street Rounds ... which are doctors, nurses and medical students taking their medicine to the streets to those who need it most. It's kind of like house calls to people who don't have a house. It saves millions upon millions of dollars to the American health care system (meaning those of us who pay for it) to have Street Rounds in every city.
But Jim and I are having coffee in a place called "Sambo's" in Santa Barbara and work hasn't started. We are talking about other things. I'm bitching about how slowly the day starts on the West Coast. "No wonder everybody's so laid back here," I say, "it's hard to get started."
Nodding, Jim has this way of talking about whatever it is he wants to talk about regardless of anything that I just said.
"What do you think would happen if James Bond settled down?" he ask.
"What?" I say.
He looks at me as though I'm an idiot. "What do you think would happen if James Bond ever settled down?"
I think to myself: "The guys famous. He's a genius. He's figured out how to stop the high end cost of the American health system that screws it up for everybody else. He's a doctor and I suppose that counts for something ... go with this."
"James Bond?" I ask.
"Yeah," he says, "like me and you."
I shake my head as I suck air in threw my teeth. "Hey Jimbo," I say, "what in the hell are you talking about?"
He takes a bite off of a muffin and looks like a Hobbit sitting there. "We've done this work," he says staring at a waitress, "and it has ...," he stares off looking for words ... "cost us," he finally says.
I nod.
"It's kind of like we've been James Bond. We've done all this stuff. We've tried to settle down but ... there was always more stuff. You know what Mike, I'm ready to just focus on my kids and what we're doing now. And I've finally found the perfect lover ... me!"
I bust out laughing.
"How's the love life?" I ask.
"You still believe," he says staring at me intently for the longest of seconds.
And I do.
And I know with everything in me.
Soon.
But not soon enough.
