Chronicle Project - Day 4

Day 4 - I fell asleep at 3:00 a.m. and woke up at 7:00 a.m. for the first time in a long while. I had to deal with the car problems, and I had made a deal with myself to start long distance running again -- Dario made sure this happened today as planned.

So I told myself, "Take the bad with the good." Even though I was in pain, tired, and stuck in the Rio Grande Valley for a little while longer, it offered me a chance to see some old friends. I grabbed coffee with Tiffany and Julio, and we talked about how some people our age (specifically old classmates) are moving their lives rather quickly. Sometimes it's a gift, and sometimes it's a curse...

• The friend with the children that can't spare a minute to grab a bite to eat.
• The friend in debt because of the divorce they are going through.
• The friend happily married to their HS sweetheart for years now.
• The friend planning a wedding on a loan because they're paying tuition too.
• The friend headstrong in a fruitful career but without prospects for love.
• The friend with a child, a great job, and a loving household to come home to already.

But on the other hand are those of us outside the circle of adulthood, still grasping to what youth we have left in the half a decade or so before we all turn 30. And then the people in our lives who might never have had any options. The picture is equally as imbalanced...

• The friend still mooching off family / friends / strangers to get by.
• The friend with a degree in a good field, but still can't find work.
• The friend partying every night, but isn't any closer to graduating or finding work.
• The friend moving from place to place trying to find work.
• The friend engaged, but waiting to make wedding plans until financially stable.
• Or what's worse, the friends that passed away along the way.

But, alas it was tough finding anything wrong in our own lives while we had friends, laughter, and a little caffeine. Thankfully, our hometown got a Starbucks since we all graduated, so we could have all three. I still miss Art 6 and Jupiter House though...