THE PITTER PATTER OF JAKE’S PAWS ON THE HARDWOOD FLOORS, SHOCKS ME BACK TO REALITY FROM WHERE MY MIND REVIEWS THE KALEIDOSCOPE OF ENDLESS IMAGES THAT WEAVE THE YEARS OF MY  LIFE TOGETHER IN TAWDRY

FASHION.

THE COUNTLESS BIRTHDAY PARTIES, CHRISTMASES, EASTERS AND RELIGIOUS BENCHMARKS ALL ASSIMILATE INTO A MAZE OF PICTURES THAT FLICKER LIKE CARTOON STRIPS —

BLENDING TOGETHER MAKING THEM INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM ONE ANOTHER.

THEN THE KALEIDOSCOPE SLOWS IMPERCEPTIBLY AND REVEALS MORE IMAGES BUT THIS TIME IN CRISP CLARITY.

I’M NOW ON A JOURNEY TO MY YOUTH!

HOW THESE IMAGES AND EXPERIENCES BURST FORTH IN SUCH DETAIL – ALMOST AS IF I’M TRANSPORTED THRU SOME TIME TUNNEL- BACK TO THE TIME OF HULA HOOPS; PLAY DOUGH AND COLOR FORMS! MY BRAIN EXPOSES MY YOUNGER DAYS IN SOME MAGICAL WAY — FREEING THE MIND OF ALL CLUTTER AND FOCUSING RICHLY ON THE RELEVANCE AND IMMEDIACY OF THESE TIMES SO LONG AGO.

PERHAPS, IT WAS BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE DID BACK THEN WERE OUR FIRSTS

OUR FIRST BIKE RIDE; OUR BRAND NEW TRAIN SET OUR FIRST CAR AND FIRST DATE.    PERHAPS THIS IS WHY, EVERYTHING THAT COMES LATER SEEMS TO GET RELEGATED TO A SECONDARY ORBIT.  OR — AS WE AGE — OUR OWN HARD DRIVE HAS SO MUCH CLUTTER – THAT IT BECOMES ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT TO REWIND EVERYTHING IN SUCH TRANSPARENCY.

NOW, AS JAKE STOPS WALKING, A SILENCE DESCENDS IN MY HOME, LEAVING A DESIRE TO HAVE THIS VOID ONCE AGAIN FILLED WITH THE PITTER PATTER OF LITTLE FEET!

J.L. LOBEL   1.25.2016