Boyhood

Today, I pulled my black 2001 Volkswagen Jetta VR6 up to a stop light on Atlanta Highway. I was the first car at the line. Then a low, bright orange Asian car pulled alongside me, an indistinguishable brand beneath the customized, plastic body, the glaring paint and the decals. Its muffler emitted that familiar aggressive buzz, and it inched forward, little by little. The driver noticed when I glanced over to read his endorsements, or wannabe endorsements, and he inched up a little more. I, in my blue tie and professional haircut, with my windows down, listening to a loud summer mixtape from my friend in the oil and gas business, took my foot off the brake and brought my clutch just to the edge of engaging. I did not inch up at all. I brought up the RPM a notch and waited as the orange drifter rolled half an inch closer to the line.

The light changed, and I poured it on, fast and furious. He tried to catch up but could not. Despite his suggestive inching, he may not have expected a real contest. I brought my VR6 to the red line in first gear, then second, and he never had a chance. I then eased off and started to brake at 60 miles per hour in second gear. It was a 35 MPH zone. We both slowed down to respect the law, and as he passed me, nodded with pleasant respect, gratitude and bit of admiration, I think. I gave him a casual wave and drove onto lunch at a meat-and-three with another young lawyer* then onto the courthouse to be a grown up.

I love the summertime.


*Named Baron, for you blogophiles.

The Worst

I loves me some Jimmy C, but I don't think his "worst in history" comment is entirely helpful. Despite the fact that, when taken in context I agree with him. The current administration has made us more hated around the world than any other. Unfortuantely that's not really something one President says about another.

President Carter has some pretty good cred amongst the religious in the US, but saying something like "The Bush Administration is the worst in history" (which isn't what he said but that is what his quote will surely become) burns a lot of bridges. When something as extreme as saying the current President is the worst in history is attributed to you it is very easy to be written off as a kook or a nut. President Carter is neither. He will, however, certainly be labeled as such by the conservative media in the coming days.

Maybe this will all blow over. Maybe I am wrong about this. Maybe the conservatives will actually quote the former President in context. Probably not, seeing as how CNN is already going with the sensationalistic headline. No, it seems likely that our best ex-President is about to be written off as slightly crazy.

New Post

When I was working behind a computer most of the day, I wrote on this blog a lot more than nowadays. Since my last post, the semester has ended, and we have moved into a new house. I find that playing with our little girls, running, hanging out with my wife and adjusting to the professional whiplash of summer break is a distraction from the blog.

Here are posts that I have considered writing:

Reflections on a recent trip to New Orleans, a tour of the city guided by Tulane and Loyola law professors and the disorienting contrast between the Central Business District and French Quarter with the rest of the destroyed, despairing city.

Review of Spike Lee’s “When the Levees Broke,” along the same lines. We highly recommend it.

Review of Will Farrell’s “Stranger than Fiction,” not along those lines at all. This movie surprised and moved us. We highly recommend it.

Recounting my victorious outing at the JSL golf tournament where I won the closest-to-the-pin competition.

My devotion to our Dreamer Designs double jogging stroller. It rocks, one of Runner’s World top-10 jogging strollers. The two-year-old and I are running every day together.

Our recent renters’ mentality versus the joy of being in a permanent home of our own and the glorious beauty of recognizing that we are exactly where we are supposed to be after years and years of wondering and wandering.

Vanderbilt’s first ever national championship in women’s bowling.

Our forthcoming trip to Malibu and the first extended trip away from our daughters.

I may or may not be a better blogger during this summer break, because I may be outside playing.