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January 16, 2006 10:44 AM- of heroes and the rest of us

Yesterday, T?s young cousin Joe and his longtime girlfriend Bay came by for an impromptu visit. They are both 25, Vermonters, and newly minted land owners, hence the reason for the visit. They wanted to see what a solar house looks like and also to pick our brains on the process of building from scratch, living off grid etc.

They were both so sweet and excited I wanted to slap them upside the head and scream, ?you want to know what the experience is like? Here, stick your hand into the woodstove. Hold it there until your flesh drops off. Now take off all your clothes and slide down the driveway on your ass. Cold, isn?t it? The ice cuts into that tender flesh, doesn?t it??

But of course I didn?t. I showed Bay my scrapbook of images I had clipped over the years as an example of how we communicate. I am utterly incapable of speaking to T in his language, i.e. describing what I want in English. Instead, I point to photographs cut from a magazine and grunt. Or, sometimes, I?d try to elaborate on the picture and explain that it had a feeling I liked but I didn?t actually want it that way.

Bay indulged me patiently for a few moments and then at some point she looked up at me with that look T often gives me, like ?what the FUCK are you talking about?? Except with Bay she had the added implication of ?wow?I hope I?m never gonna be old and weird like you.?

For my part, I watched the two of them as they conversed animatedly with T and the same three thoughts looped through my brain: they are 25 years old? They bought land? To build a house?

It should come as no surprise that my thoughts rolled back to when I was 25 years old and I tried to make a comparison between us.

Them: both employed doing work they really enjoy

Me: eating ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Steve?s ice cream parlor on Church Street in Cambridge, MA. Everyday.

Them: in love

Me: in a very serious, committed relationship with ice cream

Them: making plans for a shared future.

Me: contemplating a new flavor, maybe rocky road?

After giving them a tour of the house, showing them how the solar panels work, etc?we ended up in the kitchen chatting as T whipped up some cookie dough. I made a platter of pot stickers, T made a dipping sauce and we ate them as messily as we could. Then we loaded them up with some fresh baked cookies and they hit the road.

After they left, I settled back into the book I?ve been reading. (Whoops?that wasn?t quite fair. I gave you no warning, did I? What a shock. Yes, I?ve been reading, A book. Try not to faint from the shock.) 1776 by David McCullough. It is riveting, heartbreaking and inspiring beyond measure.

The wind was howling outside and the temperature dropped well below zero. I got up to put some more wood on the fire which required me to step out onto the porch for a moment to grab some logs. The cold was brutal and sucked the breath right out of me. I scrambled back inside and shut the door tight.

Inside was warm and cozy. As I stared at the fire, my heart ached for those thousands upon thousands of soldiers who slept outdoors in cold like this, who marched in cold like this, who fought in cold like this, who died frozen at their post in cold like this. So that I could sit curled in a chair with a good book and live as I choose. So that Bay and Joe could build a life from their dreams.

I expect they are rolling in their graves seeing the havoc Bush, Cheney & Co. continue to wreak upon us all, but I like to think there are pockets of comfort for them where they see people able to savor life, liberty and happiness.

Blessings to them and all those who follow, especially our American hero, Martin Luther King, Jr. who lived a life battling Goliath so that we might inch further out from the darkness of the caves and into the light.

got 2 cents?



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river selkie says:
good post. i often wonder how people survived in heat like ours in az, and in general without shorts, tampons, a/c, and ice. it blows my mind.
posted on: January 16

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lizardek says:
You were so getting linked for this right after I read the ice cream part, but the last bit? Was the clincher. Really great writing, BP. Also, THANK YOU!!!! for the lovely lovely beautiful thoughtful PERFECT New Year's present. It arrived today and I'm thrilled!!!
posted on: January 16

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Lauren says:
Adopt me. Please. (PS - Don't tell my mom I asked you to do this, you know, if you ever run into her at the grocery store or something).
posted on: January 16

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Rebekah says:
Do you think a dazed and battered Bay will ever come back and slap you and say, "Why didn't you try harder to warn me?" Ah, the romance of youth. God bless them. Your reminder of all the sacrifices so many have made for us, under the most inconceivable conditions humbles me. I am so thankful (but don't often acknowledge thankfulness, sadly).
posted on: January 16

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Swirly says:
Beautiful post.
posted on: January 16

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liz elayne says:
I love this. The image of those men (and women) we can only thank in the way that we live our lives. The choices we make. It's also funny to me to think about how smart I thought I was at 25, and how smart I think I am now, almost 30. Ha. The lessons never stop...
posted on: January 16

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Neil says:
Beautiful post. I'm sure these soldiers would also be surprised to know that one day their battlefields would become Vermont outlet malls.
posted on: January 16

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violetismycolor says:
Despite the cabal of Bush/Cheney/etc., I feel confident that the ball will swing back our direction. With Jon Stewart on our side, how can we lose? Lovely post, bp...as usual.
posted on: January 17

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etta says:
Great post. I'm 29 and still in the Rocky Road phase of life. And proud of it, dammit. Why, pray tell, can't I subscribe to your blog through Bloglines?
posted on: January 17

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kat says:
ha! i think i was doing that same ice cream thing around age 24-25...except it was with ben&jerry's and i was holed up in my studio apartment near fenway park. ah, those were the days. *cough* great post. :-)
posted on: January 17

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bella says:
I love ice cream, potstickers, cookies and fireplaces. Can I come visit? This was a great post. Damn, I wish I had a fireplace. Or a wood stove.
posted on: January 17

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maitresse says:
god that was a beautiful post. god I loathe shiny youngsters with big dreams (especially couples) got it's sad that I forgot all about MLK and his day here in France. thank you for the reminder.
posted on: January 18

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jes says:
married to a guitar player....sharing a house on the lake with other muscicians and artists....serving up food on a tray, traveling, and maybe dreaming about my own house.....those were the good ole days! Good luck to the kids.
posted on: January 18

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samantha says:
I love your tender, funny heart. Thank you for reminding us of who has gone before us, giving of themselves for the future generation - or just fighting for what is RIGHT. May we have the courage to do the same.
posted on: January 18

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saltwater princess says:
Will you share your potsticker recipe? I'm a terrible cook but an enthusiastic eater... PS watching people take the same path down a hard road is a difficult but necessary event, no?
posted on: January 18

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Heather says:
I soooo loved the ice cream part - hey there is nothing wrong with ice cream, especially Steve's. And then there was the second part - yes, well said. Now off to eat mint chocolate chip.
posted on: January 18

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