03.28.10
Bloodied
Little William pulled a number on his scalp on Friday night. While in bed at night, he scratched his head big-time. In the morning, his scalp was all bloodied. Poor guy. (“Buddy,” as we have nicknamed him. The name just felt right, especially since the baby carrier my wife uses is branded “Buddy Buddy.”) My wife and I took him to the clinic on Saturday, but it turned out that clinic was closed. This is why it’s usually a good idea to call ahead, whether you’re going to the bicycle shop or the local fortuneteller. Anyway, this is a good example of the extent to which babies (William is about five months old) are disconnected from their bodies. A related anecdote: I remember when Mickey was a wee tot and he let out this ginormous burp, and the belch was so loud that he started violently, his body shaking and contorting all over.
Felt like writing a bit. I don’t know why. It might have been the red wine, which I have started to imbibe again on occasion, after more than three years of near teetotalism. From what I have gathered, the research shows that moderate drinkers outlive teetotalers. This is probably due to the blood thinning effect of alcohol. I think that red wine, with its resveratrol content, at least partially explains the French paradox. Anyway, I really try to maximize my intake of what I consider healthy foods. Olives, olive oil, walnuts, salmon, avocado, just to name a few. Now adding some red wine into the mix. I only have a glass or two, so there is no excessive indulgence going on. I still feel like I can be a good father if I have a drink at night. Also, I find that some wine really takes the edge off. Lately, I’ve had too much of an edge.
I’ll try not to get existential in this post. In fact, I won’t digress into a depressing monologue about life and death. Unusual, for me. What I will say is that it’s so important for me not to take myself too seriously; not to take life too seriously; to try and enjoy every day, every hour, nay, every moment; to stop and smell the roses; to try not to get caught up in the petty minutiae that really don’t matter in the end; to try and take one life day at a time; to love my family; to remember that money and possessions don’t matter worth a damn; to try not to give a fuck about traffic jams (I can study my Chinese characters); to stop worrying about the transgressions, real or imagined, committed by other drivers; to stop confessing other people’s sins (thank you, S. Covey); to laugh more often. All of this takes a lot of work, which isn’t surprising. A lot of people seem to have taken the gift of life and turned it into a burden they must carry. A monkey on their back. A lot of people seem to spend much of their time walking around scowling, not grateful for what they have. I really don’t want to go through my whole life like that. I don’t want to “burn through” my life as the lead character did in the Adam Sandler movie Click.
Glancing at the news headlines, I see miners trapped in China and marines lost at sea in Korea. There are a lot of ways to go, and you could go at any time. Nothing that I can do for these people, but the deaths of other does remind me to appreciate my life more. And headlines like those are another reason why I don’t watch TV news or read many newspaper articles about random accidents and violence.
You just gotta enjoy the time you have here.
Had a good day with the kids today. We went to the pool, and splashed around for a while. Mickey slipped in the shower room, bumping his head and scraping his bum (it bled slightly). Then we picked up the wife and baby at home and went for beef and chicken at the Flying Garden restaurant. Bought the boys one toy each at the Daiso one hundred yen (plus five yen tax) store. Then came home. The kids were still really energetic, while we parents were pooped. Wife went to bed before the kids. No chance for lovemaking tonight. That’s life. Back to work tomorrow (gotta make the boss rich). Time to hit the hay. I will sleep the sleep of the just (despite all my sins).
