Not quite yourself, raging spring and Tuesdays with Morrie…

My colleague has been coming to my office the whole week whispering – are you ok? You’re not quite yourself. Yeah, I’m fine. Tired from the flight, I now know way too much about the Salt Lake City Airport. No, really, I’m good. Just you, know, Tuesday, got out of a conference call. Sure, I’m ok. After failing to reach my by phone, because it is still lost somehwere in the city of Seattle, she deduced today that I haven’t been “quite the same” because I don’t have my cell phone. Interesting I thought. She said, Truly. There are people out there that you need to connect with somewhat regularily, those people you talk to on your bus rides or late at night - you're missing them. You’re just a tad bit not yourself. I think that just may be true.

It’s raging spring right now in Seattle. I go away for one weekend and EVERYTHING is in bloom. The daffodils have since expired but every tree sports a pink or white fur coat covering every limb in the brightest cherry blossoms possible. Warm rain bursts broke up the morning. Even on the highway heading north to Everett today, the air pushed through my vents carried spring. And it’s so welcomed.

I saw Tuesdays with Morrie tonight at the Seattle Rep with my friend Crystal. She had wrangled up some free tickets. I remember when the book came out years ago and I was working at Borders – it was huge – best seller. (I, of course, could not read a best seller but had to read some obscure title that could possibly become a best seller.) It was fantastic - touching and thought provoking. It was also very well produced (with my theater eye it’s hard to watch a show with out wondering about the technical aspects, design, acting). It was filled with young people! (I can’t tell you how different this is from my more typical “big budget” theater experience where it’s all very elderly, excuse me all “blue hairs” – this was aspect also fantastic.)

It was the story of Mitchell and his college professor Morrie and the relationship they rebuild once Mitchell, an extremely successful and renowned sports writer (true story), contacts Morry after seeing him on Nightline talking about ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease). It’s a great story about forgiveness of oneself first and letting others love you. It’s a story of pain and loss, and struggle but coming out the whole situation a better person. It's about marking the points in you life by how close you are to the impending situation when someone else will be wiping your butt.

And when you cry - laughing the entire time.