It was a nearly perfect day. He:
Arose refreshed and drove the freeway through early-morning mists with no traffic;
Got lost in a bucolic farming community;
Parked next to an old pickup truck driven by a guy with a John Deere hat;
Watched an American flag flutter in the breeze by the dawn’s early light;
Surprised someone with May Day flowers plucked unexpectedly from his herb garden;
Got to know and laughed and conversed with the elderly;
Tried to help someone;
Explored Word(s);
Cheered as friend’s young nephew scored in an exciting comeback at a Little League game;
Helped someone feel more warm and comfortable;
Shivered in a light morning drizzle that didn’t fog or mist his glasses;
Clandestinly sat close to and was warmed by someone under a blanket;
Made someone smile;
Explored an almond torte, a raisin tart, and a pastry-wrapped sausage at a Dutch bakery;
Was refreshed and warmed after the game by a bowl of Pea Suppe almost as good as Grandma Bertha’s;
Got free bbq;
Avoided junk food, cigarette smoke and bright lights;
Tried to do something new;
Got lost while driving … again (his favorite activity);
Saw an old church steeple pierce a newly-opened blue sky;
Explored an old town;
Visited a familiar place he’d never seen before;
Got on the water;
Laid out at a beach;
Straightened out the s-curves with the top down on a scenic shoreline drive;
Saw sunlight stream through low clouds and paint patterns on the sea;
Returned, and came back;
Helped a friend escape;
Sampled more ethnic food;
Sang his lungs out;
Danced his heart out;
Brought down the house;
Laughed deeply, sincerely, and well;
Engaged in deep, rich and meaningful conversation;
Made a new friend;
Kept an old friend.
It was a nearly perfect day except, sometimes,
when he thought of you …
and wondered where you were.