Obsession

I have a couple new obsessions I thought only fair to mention. The first is old people, naturally. The church that I now fully intend to become a member of has a more elderly congregation. There are some younger patrons, but I dare say they are the boring ones. I met Nora last week, who pulled me safely under her wing and instructed me to come back the following week and attend lunch with "the whole group." So I did. They are fantastically interesting people. Most of them are well educated, dwarfing once again my intellect. Their knowledge of the world surrounding them is outstanding, encouraging all who speak with them to immediately read ten more books... today. Besides being intelligent, through nature and nurture, they are quite well-traveled. I found at least three people who were not only familiar with Wisconsin, but Madison and Milwaukee as well. Keep in mind, they don't just go to boring Midwestern towns either! Russia, Asia, the Polynesian Islands, nothing is new territory to these people. They are outrageously witty and a few even have that driest of dry humor that I do so adore. I have often scolded myself for not finding enough time to discuss life with those who have actually lived through it and ended with a sense of humor. Luckily, they find me entertaining as well and I hope to become fast friends with them all.

In a connected way, my other new obsession is the ocean. My dear friend, Nora, and her good friend, Iris, took me driving all over the city and finally showed me to the beach. Not the industrial stinkpot that is the harbor, but the true ocean was finally revealed to me. I love it. I asked what the next major land in my way was, and was told South America. For reasons I don't entirely understand myself, I love that the wind and water bring with them stories of faraway places. I almost wish each little particle could tell the story of the things it'd seen. There is an exciting liberation that comes from such wide open water whose origin still confuses me. What is it about water that is so inspiring? The continual change and progression? The seemingly unending calm? The openness of the territory? Oh, who knows? Why try to define it? It's wonderful and I love it and hope to spend much time there!