To say it has been a strange day is probably putting it mildly. Despite being Thursday in Music City USA. Despite being unseasonally warm in Nashville, TN. Despite a dense morning fog on the commute into town; the day seemed to be oddly normal. Obviously, I was going to be late, so I opted to be comfortable too. I stopped at Hardees and got my two favorite sandwiches for the slow ride into to town I saw over the horizon.
Three hours into work, something was wrong. The next thing I knew we were being told to evacuate the building! There was some sort of gas leak that smelled pretty serious. I grabbed a bottled water from my desk and headed downstairs to the exit. The smell was really strong downstairs! Deciding that this could take a while, I immediately proceeded to my vehicle parked across the street. I asked a coworker if he minded passing a little football. Of course he said of course not. Among other things, I typically pack a nerf football for just such a moment. Within minutes, we were joined by at least four other coworkers. Despite the warm temperature and odd circumstance, the football took center stage. We are fortunate to all like each other and our coworkers. The football allowed us to laugh together as we coordinated who to pass to next. We shared our strengths and weakness concerning this funny-shaped projectile being tossed from one to the other. It was very relaxing. We learned things about each other as we played. Even those watching us had fun taking note of our connected discourse. We had a blast without there actually being a blast. Almost thirty-five minutes later, our situation had been downgraded and we were free to reenter the building.
We didn't know why we hadn't done this sort of thing sooner; but we agreed not only to the fun of the moment, but also the relief it provided mentally and emotionally. One of us was closing on a house, another working two jobs, one rebuilding from a tornado and others who just needed a rescue from the mundane. Folks under estimate the need to blow off a little steam. For creatives, its essential to have some outlet to life's snares and bogs. We were certainly much happier after tossing the ole football around. I don't know if it was so manly or just the exercise together or the outbursts of laughter; but the evacuation was a success in more ways than one. It would serve others well to get out of the office on occassion and do something completely unrelated together.
Its like watching every movie at once; like hearing a thousand conversations; but trying to listen to just one. That's where I am; not sure how but it happens occassionally; especially when I am on the downside of possible and under the weight of the unliftable. Something else is here with me; maybe within me. It's enuf to make you never want to be without the buzz of it and yet I often am. Arrgh...even now; with the distraction of having a walkman in one ear currently playing "Spirit in the Sky," I can hear the person across the room breathing and snorting, the spit leaking down the back of his throat like cooling lava from a volcano miles away. The lights overhead blink as the electricity nods at its passing opposites on neighboring wires, the cars outside pause at the red light as the gas flows through its veins like metal blood, even the bird taking off from the wire just out the window who chirps at being airborne; all in symphony with the roar of a huge transit bus driving through. Oh well....mmmmm....I like it, I like it all. As my fingers continue to race at emptying the fullness of my mind; I picture the condensation that occurs when cool air glazes a window and droplets form until 
they are so heavy, they begin to run — then the memory of watching rain on a windshield treated with RainX spread like terrified spiders across the windshield leaving it completely clear and dry. Its all so marvelous. Its all so mysterious. The gift of such little things that we may never understand and typically not even notice are continually given to us almost free of charge. I hope I get to keep this for the rest of my week. Life is most thrilling when we are off the security of the ground; suspended by Faith and Hope; defying the logic to look down; for looking down will steal any freedom from gravity and you will fall — some even sink. The eagle belongs in the sky; he's vulnerable on the ground.