A Long Day

It's been a long day. 

Birds singing in the morning.  Coffee brewing in the kitchen. 

The lap top warming up as I did the same in the shower; ready to embark on an ordinary day.

Dried myself off, sat in my chair, preparing myself for my regular routine. 

And the long day began.

Heard some troubling news about someone I barely knew.  A stranger in my computer, hours before, had lost his life.  A friend of a friend of another friend is quite upset.  Humanity sinks in as I drink from my coffee cup.  Ho hum, it happens every day, I tell myself as I find myself a little despondent.

Something about those connections we make here online with people we've never met.  It's funny.  It's sad.  It's another long day.

It's been a long year.

New Years resolutions get longer each year.  Broken a lot sooner as I grow older.

I love you, my love, can't wait until we're married.  Maybe, we won't have babies but if you want another cat, I will not debate you.

Summer rolls in, I need a vacation from me.  I pack my bags and send them on a trip.  I never go anywhere without my ego.

She says she's not feeling too well, even worse than usual.  Worry sets it in, even more so than before.  Doctor says she'll be fine... God willing.

Christmas is coming.  She's everything I want.  It's funny.  It's sad.  It's another long year.

It's been a long decade.

Sat across from a friend in an ordinary booth at a rather tame restaurant.  His hands were shaking as his speech was slurred.  Three hours that night, doing what we do best.  Talking. 

The last three hours, I would ever see him again. 

I've seen a ghost, a shell of a man, walk away in the distance as my heart told me, I wouldn't see him again.   And my heart was right.

Ten years of yearning; wishing I had those hours back.  It's funny.  It's sad.  It's been a long decade.

It's been a long life.

So many friends.  So many faces.  So many memories. 

If I had grandparents, this would be the time, I'd ask for old war stories, to see their old wounds.  This would be the time, Id' drink lemonade on the porch, rock in a chair and marvel as they spoke.

But I'll settle for my neighbor who no longer remembers his name.  His face, specifically, his eyes; tell me everything I need to know.

It's embarrassing, my generation, as I think of his.  It's funny.  It's sad. 

And the long day comes to an end.  A day filled with reflection, some regrets and reminiscence.  Alone with some thoughts, my telephone rang.  An unfamiliar phone number from a familiar area code.

So, I answer my phone, curiosity at bay. 

It's an old friend from a decade ago.

As soon as I recognized his voice, I, immediately, with joy, said, "It's been a long time."

It's funny.  It's sad.

How time flies.