#humor
NORTHERN LIGHTS
A powerful and rare solar storm occurred the other night…
which meant even down here in Florida we could see the Northern Lights.
At least that’s what we were led to believe…so we headed out one night
putting our hopes and dreams and wishes forth…
hoping to see those unique lights…visiting from the north.
Although we have a wonderful relationship with the universe
having stood in awe of her wonders for hours…
We were skeptical because we haven’t had much luck
when it comes to seeing her meters showers.
I remember waking our children up early a few mornings
when all they wanted to do was sleep some more
packing them in the car and driving to the shore.
“It’s a meteor shower!” we told them
when they were awake enough to ask us why
only to stand out in the cold and quiet
as not one meteor made it’s way across the sky.
It didn’t take long for our children…when it came to meteor showers
to ignore everything we said….
they would moan and groan then turn over
and hide neath the covers on their bed
So although we were somewhat optimistic
to see the Northern Lights…this wonder of creation
we made this trip to the shore…with some mild reservations.
The night sky was beautiful …filled with stars…
and as the time approached…we waited expectantly…
but after 90 minutes across the darkened sky…
there wasn’t a Northern Light to see.
We saw starlight, flashlights, head lights, street lights…lights from planes and drones.
We saw peoples faces light up…from the glow of their camera phones…
But once again the Universe when it came to us….pulled a Lucy from Charlie Brown.
Still, since it was a a beautiful night…we left with a smile…not a frown.
And as we drove home in the darkness…seeing only car lights up ahead…
we smiled and we shared a laugh wondering…what our children would have said.
MY LUCKY SHIRT
I have this lucky shirt…I feel the luck in this shirt is strong…
I’ve worn it many times and every time I wear it…luck has come along.
I wore it on the first leg of our trip to North Carolina.
It’s like being enveloped by and old friend….
And since it’s luck worked that first day… the next morning…I put it on again.
In my defense our car was air conditioned…I didn’t sweat
and for 10 hours I felt the luck through my shirt flow…
So it was an easy decision the next morning…to wear that shirt two days in a row.
(In case you’re wondering if I am a complete slob let me clear the air….
Yes, I wore the same shorts and shirt…but I changed my underwear!)
All this reminded me of a time years ago In the mountains of NC
when Damien and Taylor (our two eldest grandchildren) spent two weeks with Deborah and me.
We didn’t notice this until we looked at the photos later
something that, to this day, still disconcerts…
but in every photo Damien and Taylor were wearing the same shirt!
They brought two weeks of clothing
Stacked in their dressers…each day to be swapped
but each night Deborah washed their dirty clothes then neatly stacked them back on top.
Each morning, without thinking, Damien and Taylor would reach into their drawer…
and put on the very same shirt they wore the day before.
So in every photo taken in each and every frame
due to Deborah’s loving cleanliness…Damien and Taylor were dressed the same.
As I put my lucky shirt into the dirty clothes…to be washed for the 100th time again…
I wondered if, perhaps, Damien and Taylor also had lucky shirts back then.
Which makes me wonder when it comes to our apparel..and our sense of fashion too…
If re-wearing clothes that are not dirty and do not smell…it’s something fellas do.
Which brings me to the reason for this poem:
Beginning with these two weeks in NC
and then on our 48 day road trip…let me take a moment to assert
Do not judge me too critically…
if in almost every photo
I’m wearing the same shirt.