Bubbles are complicated

yet simple

They are there and then they are not. Poof. Look through them and the world looks a little different.

Today at school was Grandparent’s Day (aka, special guest day). Kids can bring a relative or important family member or 2 or 3 or 4 and share in our school Mass, check out their classroom and engage in a bit of field day fun.  Field day fun? Why yes.  And I’ve run the bubbles the last few years.  I have wands for big bubbles, Dawn and fancy bubble enhancing powder and a bunch of large trays for dipping.  It’s quite fun.  Some kids get into it.  Some of the bubbles can be 3-4 times the size of a basketball and go a long way. Sometimes I worry they might go to the busy road nearby and cause a problem.  Today I was asked about 10 times what I use for the magic mixture.  And well… I just kind of dump it all together and add more soap if the bubbles are popping too soon.  Pretty simple… but apparently, it’s harder than I think.  There is actually a technique to getting big bubbles. You have to open the wands to get them started and then… at just the right moment, bring the wands back together to seal the bubble and set it free.  Set it free… otherwise you just end up with a really long serpentine bubble thing that just pops right away.  Cool for the moment, but then it’s gone.  I also have procured some bubble guns… just press the trigger and hundreds of bubbles emerge.  The bubbles in the photo were made this way after I got home tonight. Fun. Bubbles. A good way to get into the moment and forget anything else that’s going on. 

Speaking of focusing on the moments… KS and I ran a long way Monday. She had heard it was possible to hike the beach from Santa Cruz to Monterey and wanted to run it someday.  I looked it up and found that there are some river issues - but from Moss Landing to Monterey is possible in one shot.  So we did it. 16+ miles of beach. Sometimes crowded. Sometimes hard packed. Sometimes with lots of birds. Sometimes totally deserted. Sometimes with big cliffs. Sometimes with really annoyingly soft sand.  I can see the cliffs from my apartment and it is fun now to think… yeah…. ran that. 

Here’s KS in the distance

Here’s the whale skin we found floating in the surf

and here’s the spinal section we think went to the same whale… There was some baleen too. 

Unfortunately we did not see any living whales… not much living really. Other than people and birds.

BTW - running one way on a beach for 16+ miles does leave you a little lopsided.

oh wait… back to school.  I was juggling a bit too while they were bubble making.  Yeah.. that’s another in the moment thing.  Got to focus on what you’re doing.  Can’t worry about politics or what’s for dinner or … well whatever it is. Live in the moment please. That’s today’s theme 👍. The moments are good. One grandparent today was particularly fascinated with my juggling. She was amazed that I just look in the distance while juggling and don’t actually focus on the individual balls. Nope… all three at once while focusing on something entirely different in the distance… I like to make eye contact with folks and talk with them while juggling. Wigs them out a little.

Back on campus I had an interaction with a woman I’ve mentioned before. Curiously another K… KK.  Actually, I walked up to her with my box of juggling bean bags and challenged her to a battle. Quite randomly.  She was like - “alright” before even knowing what the challenge was. When I opened the box and said juggling she picked three up and started juggling. Just like that. Made me smile.  She wasn’t a polished pro - but still… pretty amazing. The feeling in the air was that she wasn’t going to let any challenge go… ever… she didn’t even know what the challenge was. I hadn’t opened the box. She DID NOT KNOW what was in the box and still ACCEPTED the challenge. Dangerous.

Later we chatted a bit and she talked about how sometimes she runs and it’s like she’s running away from a problem. Something is eating at her and she’s just got to get out and get it out. I can relate. I have used running that way. Where every step is a fist to the earth. I’ve also solved a lot of problems running. Usually after I pound at the earth for 20 minutes my steps calm down and my soul calms down and I can think and a solution will come. I did not get that feeling of absolution from her today and it made me sad.  It sounded like that stuff just sticks with her. Running or activity just masks it. Hides it under a blanket. And for the first time I sensed in her an underlying layer of anger at the world. Shocked me a bit… but I can see it. I think I understand at least a little. I am sure she has been underestimated her whole life. She is smart and strong willed and physically powerful but not big. Not imposing. Not threatening until you see the look in her eye. Sigh. Society and the repercussions of our prejudices make me sad. She shouldn’t need to prove everyone wrong. If anything, she should be in charge. 

And me? In the moment now. Breathe. Writing is good for me. Cooking is good for me. Making brown rice right now actually.  That’s a long moment. Thumb twiddling time is involved with brown rice. Thumb thumb thumb. There is no reason to be sad at being alone right now. I will see friends tomorrow morning. Tomorrow night. Sunday. Back to school Monday. Cross Country with kids during the week. There are lots of positive moments and they will continue to grow.  I will meet people and at some point there will be people that click. 

Met a people Sunday for the first time in person. Enjoyable but so far away. Amazingly interesting and open and thoughtful. If we were neighbors we would hang out and joke and probably cook for each other and drag each other to things. But… friends that are far away… so far away.  It’s hard to be in the moment with them. Especially hard with new friends. Technology can’t bridge the gap the way I need it to.

Moments are complicated… yet simple. Like bubbles.