August 22, 2021: Reflection Time

It’s that time of year. It happens more than that, but on two specific days per year, I take some time to reflect: New Year’s Day and my birthday. It ain’t New Years, so… yeah, reflection time, Chicago sports style.

I’m still sorting out my emotions around the Cubs crash and burn; that shit really pissed me off. There have been plenty of bad Cubs teams, you know the loveable losers, wait until next year, yada yada… But I can’t really recall a situation where this suckage was so obviously self inflicted. Yeah, let’s trade not 1, not 2, but our 3 best players. I can’t wrap my head around that shit, sorry. Spin it however you want, it’s a crock of bullshit. But… bleed Cubbie blue right? I may need a transfusion.

Bears season is on the horizon, and I need it more than ever. Then they get absolutely pasted in their 2nd preseason game; great, just great. That’s OK; I’m sticking with my mantra that the preseason don’t mean a thing, so… we’re still good there. Very hopeful for this season; looking forward to it in a big way.

Soon after that, the UC brothers will be coming around. Both the Bulls and Blackhawks have made some great moves IMO. Both teams should be back in the playoffs, as they really should be every year in this city; we deserve it. Getting back to playing games in the second season is an exciting proposition. I hope to see a lot of playoff games this year and next. One thing is sure: we will be seeing the White Sox play in the postseason. Yay…

So my new thing has been smoking cigars; talk about reflection time. As the minutes before the start of my 24 hours ticked away, I enjoyed one. I thought listening to some music while doing so would be cool. Next question was what kind of music. I’ve been downloading a lot of music, and not just songs, but whole albums. I remember listening to whole albums back in the day; that’s really the only way to listen to music, yes? Not just listening to the popular songs that make the radio. Ok, which album? One of my last cigar smoking sessions, I put on Chicago’s first album; great choice by the way. OK, so I need something different today… where do I go?

I looked up the top albums from the year of my birth. The choice was made: Presence by Led Zeppelin. It was good… really good… really relaxing just sitting there with my cigar, jamming out. Of course I share my birthday with my parents; it’s the day of their anniversary too. They had their big one last year when they hit 50, but the case can be made that every year married is a big one, just like every year, every day alive is. Funny enough… as the album winded down, and I was enjoying my “Tea for One”, I saw the release date: March 31st. This is funny too, ironic perhaps, considering this is MY anniversary date; the same date that I have tattooed on the inside of my left arm. Wow… what does it all mean?

OK, no more reflecting, just more living, hopefully. Another year on this earth is a big time blessing; I have many of those. I don’t take any of them for granted. After the first album, I went to another one from that same fateful year. This time it was David Bowie, Station to Station; it was really good too, but I didn’t finish it. So now I write, one of my other favorite things to do. Now I’m done, and it’s time for bed. I’m getting older you know; I need my sleep. Looking forward to another one of my “Golden Years”…