I Feel Happpiness For Other People

When long holiday weekends roll around and the weather is perfect - I am happy for other people.

I am an empathy balloon.

I recognize that - excluding the rich - we are all in the same boat. I have made the point in here many times but nobody pays attention. So I won't repeat myself.

Long weekends - essentially one extra day off in many cases - gives people a sense of freedom. Of control. A long weekend allows them to feel human, a bit more alive. I feel good for every one of them.

Apparently I am evolving. When I drive to work on the Friday before Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day, I am on the road around 2 o'clock. There are 12 cars following me and 1 million cars coming at me. This is because I live in a vacation paradise, and everybody on the opposite side of the road is "heading north" - getting a head start on their magical, mystical weekend.

I used to despise them and loathe myself. I hated them because they had some place cool to go and were done with work. I hated myself for being foolish enough to be in the position of having to go to work when I should be cracking open an ice cold beer.

Yesterday I felt none of that. I was - inexplicably - in a good mood. Checking out all the SUV's and RV's and trailers and motorcycles and bicycles on the roof - I like it when the little man wins. No matter how small the victory is.

Got me a new grill specifically for this weekend. A cheap little thing - two burners. $149. Carol and I spent a total of 3 or 4 hours putting this thing together on Thursday - we got it done baby. I fired it up today and it didn't explode. I am ready to grill.

My previous grill died maybe two years ago? and I never got around to replacing it because Carol requires diamond necklaces and mink stoles, a constant drain on our finances.

I feel no need to buy a six burner grill with warming heaters on both sides and two acres of cooking surface at a cost of $1100. I no longer require affirmation of my peacock-like manhood. I am old, I am flabby, I'm getting weaker. Fuck it. It is just me and Carol, and we are no longer party animals. 99% of the time the grill will have two burgers or two Delmonico steaks on it - that's it. Unless some Jehovah's Witnesses stop by; then we party like it's 1999.

We have no plans this weekend. None. We are going to relax, enjoy this beautiful weather, each other and Emmy Lou and Patsy, and eat barbecued grub - grilled at the hands of a master. We are fine with that. I am happy for our four days together - I don't report back to prison until Wednesday.

I am happy for the millions of people who will be airing out their souls, just being themselves without anyone looking over their shoulder. In tents, and cabins, and hotels, and motels, and RV's, on lakes, on the ocean, barbecuing and water skiing and swimming and lying in lounge chairs reading, sipping cocktails by the fire under the stars.

Let the little man win; let him kick back and relax and forget about everything for a few days.

Paradise for the soul, baby - paradise for the soul.