Moments Of Clarity And College Chicas

I know I've blogged about this before but it sorta happened again to me on Saturday. The first time it happened, I was on a late night jog in South Korea during my time in the Army.

I had a moment of clarity. A moment when all the worries in life just melted away into the background and a groundswell of positivity overcame me. Those moments are rare and when they hit, you certainly don't forget. It's those moments that it seems like the stars & planets are aligned, the rhythm of the world is in sync, and for just that moment, you know that matter what happens, everything will be okay.

For reasons beyond me, there is a certain song that just elicits this feeling in me. Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" has had this effect on me twice now.

The first time I was in South Korea on a late night job. My fiance and I had ended our relationship (I got a "Dear John" phone call on Valentine's Day) and I was feeling pretty shitty. So on my job, I had a mix tape (yeah, that's how long ago this was ... mixed tapes ... I had that yellow Sony sports Walkman) and I was jogging. Maybe the endorphins kicked in as I crested that small hill but when Bob was in harmony with his female backup singers ..
"Everything gone be alright now
Everything gone be alright..."
The moment hit perfectly. My life came into focus. In that instant, I knew I'd be okay. I knew I'd love again. I knew I could make it through what I was going through. I knew that I wasn't past what I was going through, but I would be alright.

Saturday, it happened again. I was at one of those low ebbs at my shitty hellish job. There I am ringing up fucking Snickers bars and overpriced water to hotel guest who serve no purpose in this life. I had our busted up clock radio going when "No Woman No Cry" hit the airwaves. I was only 1/2 paying attention when that familiar chorus hit. Again, I knew that what I was going through was temporary. I knew that someday I would get past this. I knew that I could get through anything. This and what happened next was what I needed to rescue me from the doldrums.

I got hit on ... or at least I think I got hit on. A national convention for sports medicine students was meeting at the hotel where my shit shop is located. So the place is crawling with college students. One girl, maybe about 21, comes in first time. She was by herself and asked about something and I talked to her about 3 or 4 minutes. She leaves and comes back with her friend. They buy a couple of things and then she asks my name. I tell her and she repeats it like 2 or 3 times; I assuming this was so that she could remember my name. I ring her up and she then comments that I should go have a drink with her and her friends. I am floored. I just smile and mention that the shop doesn't close 'til 10, but she keeps on saying to just close it up and have a margarita with them. Well, I just assumed she was flirting ... but she came back later on dressed to the nines since they were all going out on the town and started talking to me again about going out for margaritas. So I am assuming she was flirting. It was pretty cool ... an old man getting flirted with by a 21 y.o..

So if you've got a moment of clarity to share or want to comment on whether I was being flirted with or not, leave your comments por favor!

Oh yes, our lovely NML has a very interesting pic with the gentleman pictured above. Go to her archives and you'll be blown away. I've begged her to tell her mom to thank Rita Marley for keeping Bob's music and memory alive.

PS. Here is the link to NML's pic. I'm so jealous of her .. but I love her to death!!