Dreams

Photo of the Day
Trying to look chemo cool

I was dreaming this morning that Barb and I lived in a warehouse that had been renovated into a loft-style home, in a little surf community north of San Diego.

We had a successful graphic design business in a separate building we owned in this small communities' business district.

I surfed every morning before going to work. We were so incredibly happy.

Barb and I stood above the cliffs one evening, which were just a short walk from our loft, watching the sunset over the Pacific, each enjoying a glass of Merlot.

Suddenly I heard a loud "MEOW!"

Awwwwwww. Freckles!!!!!

I had slept in and Freckles didn't like it. He came into our bedroom this morning and let out a couple loud "Meows" to wake us up. He stirred me right out of San Diego - silly cat.

Why San Diego? I don't know. I guess the scenery from golf's U.S. Open this past weekend sunk into my head. Plus I just sent a print job to a printer in San Diego yesterday.

People have often told me that with my laid-back surfer style demeanor I'd love California. I really can't imagine it though. Pennsylvania is my home. I love "Penn's Woods," the rolling countryside, the back roads that suddenly make 90-degree turns along very old property lines.

Pennsylvania may not be very progressive, and I've often loved to dance along the cutting edge of art and music and culture in general. Growing up I couldn't find anyone who was listening to the Velvet Underground, reading Hunter S. Thompson, or following the exploits of Andy Warhol.

But I've always been a man of old-fashion values, who believed in family and faith and the strength found in small communities, and that fit the spirit of Pennsylvania well. This is, and always has been my home.

After college I took the first job I could get, which happened to be in Northeast Philadelphia. I spent almost four-years in the big city, saturated by cutting edge music and art and culture. But I never felt comfortable, never felt like I was at home. Eventually it wore me down and I returned home, and stayed home in Central Pennsylvania, back to the rolling countryside where I belonged.

I always remember a friend of our family telling me, "You're just like me. You think you need to go chase your dreams. But then you realize that everything you ever needed was all around you all along."