A Day in the Life of Chaos

David Hockney's "Pearblossom Highway #2." As I cross the mid-point of my life and move toward third base I always find myself wondering where is home?  These thoughts have recently come brilliantly to the forefront as I not long ago made contact with a distant cousin who is in the oil industry.  He lives a life of wandering that makes my own seem humble.   While Texas is his home his journeys carry him to Russia, Egypt, Oman, Yemen, Kazakhstan and East Africa.  Oh the old saying, "Home is where the heart is." has a certain ring to it but does it really mean anything?  As human beings we associate experiences with places and they color our minds in a collage of memories.  For some these are all close to home and for others, they span the world.  I often wonder if those that never lived a vagrant life are more satisfied?  They must feel so connected to the place that they live.  Like it is a part of them and they a part of it.  Are they happy with this or do th

There I was, tired but satisfied. I soared above the clouds at thirty thousand feet wedged into my chair next to a bronzed middle-aged couple.  Wait a moment, I am middle-aged just minus the bronze.  Does that mean they remember me as a seemingly unconscious white guy?   I flew half asleep, a victim more of dragging myself out of bed at 3:30 am then a hard night drinking and gambling.   I was suddenly awakened by a snort that I summarily tried to conceal by executing another one with with eyes wide open.   The woman beside me didn't seem to take the bait as she examined me trying to determine if I was dying.  She was nervous in her own right.  Apparently she hadn't flown in twenty years and sleeping did not seem to be on her agenda.  She clutched her husband hand and likely wondered how I could be so relaxed during such a frightening moment.   Reluctantly, I was on my way home.  Just a few days earlier my seat companion had been a red neck man in his 30's.  He was

Anyone whom has been a faithful reader of this blog might remember an entry a year ago when I talked about friends and Las Vegas. Every year or so, my two best friends and I try to meet in Las Vegas for a few days. Each of us comes from life in different stages. Alfredo is a multiply married now a single childless man facing the uncertainties of retirement. Dave is closer to my age but has three kids, one overcoming cancer. With 20 years of service in his stress filled field he is also eligible for retirement in the not to distant future. Myself, I am 44 years old and well past the midpoint of my career. We all have given our lives to Federal service and each of us at this stage of life is asking questions about our futures and our pasts. We wonder if our careers have been what they should have been and question the Federal deal. We joined the Federal Government knowing we would never be rich. We decided to trade prosperity for security. A guarantee of a respectful retire