Snipets Of Daily Life (part 3)

"You got to hold on
Take my hand
I'm standing right here
You got to hold on"
- "Hold On" by Tom Waits


There was an earthquake this morning. I was in the kitchen when everything started shaking and rattling. It's also so surreal; as in, "Is this really happening? Is it really an earthquake or is someone using some large machinery outside which is causing things to shake?" In a few seconds it had passed. The water in the large purifier on the counter was swaying as though it was just set down hard, and the light fixtures swayed back and forth.
As I walked down the hill twenty minutes later, I looked at the city's horizon and tried to determine if the lingering haze was clouds waiting to be burned off by the sun, or was dust which was shaken up, floating, looking for a place to land.



Walking home, I saw the neighborhood uni-cyclist. No joke: there is a guy who rides a unicycle up and down the hill near my apartment. He is thin and older; greying hair. He wears a helmet, knee pads, and a bright orange vest. As he rides down the hill, arms outstretched, balancing, I admire his prowess. Seeing him never fails to make me smile.



I listened to the song "Hold On" by Tom Waits. It is soft and mournful. I played it on repeat. I find a new song I love and play it over and over. This one, an older song, I stumbled upon while looking for something else. The lyrics tell a whole poetic story of love and loss and hope. Waits's voice is gravely, reminiscent of Bob Dylan, but it grows on me, grows as the song builds until it has become something lovely.