My Keys

I was thinking about my keys last night while I was sitting on my new balcony on Navarre Beach enjoying a glorious evening and sunset. I only have four keys on my key ring. One for the car, one for the mailbox, and two for the condo. I only need one for the condo, so the number may go down to three shortly. Three keys.

I'm sure there was a time in my life when I had 10 or 15 keys on my key ring. I'm sure many of you could trump that number even now. Keys for two cars, keys for my room and desk at school, a whole bunch of keys for a large home, keys for my kids' various apartments, keys for my mother and Ada's mother. Keys, responsibilities, worries: they seem to go hand in hand, don't they?

Now I'm down to three keys. I'm also down to three primary responsibilities:
1.love my kids, grandkids, family and friends both old and new
2.keep all of my beautiful memories of Ada alive in my heart
3.keep my drive from slicing

I think I'm doing a better job on the first two than on the third, but, as they say, it's a good problem.

Here is another good problem I have. When I woke up this morning, there was so much light streaming into the condo, I was almost blinded. It was a perfect morning down here...(my apologies to those of you who have been experiencing the recent rains in the northeast)...there was light coming in from everywhere. It seemed as though the light had a life of its own; it had weight; you could touch it. With the light came the freshest air I think I have ever experienced. The air came from the Gulf and it was clean and sharp with just a hint of New England clam chowda. Perfect air. What a joy it was to join the light and the air and get going this morning. I know there will be days this summer when the light will be harmful and the air oppressive. When that happens, I promise to remember this day and not complain.

Apropos of nothing, but I noticed that once again I am 15 minutes away from a pizza place. I say once again because from as far back as I can remember, I have been 15 minutes away from the local pizza place. This was true in our first apartment in Quincy, MA, in Waltham, in East Weymouth (15 minutes to The Venetian: heaven!), in Hanover, in Grantham, NH, and now in Navarre Beach. I'm wondering if I arranged that in all those places either consciously or subconsciously. Of course the benefit of living 15 minutes away from your favorite pizza place should be obvious. When you call in your order, no matter how large or how small, you are inevitably told that it will be ready in 15 minutes. So you call, get your puny key ring and wallet, and head for the promised land. No unnecessary or convoluted calculations. Life doesn't always have to be complicated.

Speaking of not being complicated, in addition to my emaciated key ring, the contents of my car would attest to the new simplicity of my life. In my car on more or less a permanent basis are the following four items: a golf push cart, a golf bag, a beach chair, and a boogie board. If I add a good book and an adult beverage to that cargo, I think I'll be on to something.

I don't know if this new simplicity will be enough to sustain me. All I know is the last three years were very complicated and a little simplicity feels very good right about now.

Much love,
J