I think going into the city is a little like throwing up. When I was growing up, when I got sick I’d do just about anything to keep from throwing up. I mean, lay perfectly motionless for hours if necessary. I hated so completely the feeling of throwing up. All the muscles in your stomach tensing up and your throat trying to force stuff up that may or may not be there. Frankly, it’s disgusting. I still hate it; although I’m better at feigning a cool temper about it now.

I just returned from driving into the city. I hate the city; I hate the idea of going there. Well today, there was no choice. For some reason, Penn Camera thought that the best place for there rental facility was inside the city, and today it just so happened that I needed to rent something. So, begrudgingly, I got into my car and started out. Interestingly enough, I found that the traffic spots that usually cause hang ups seemed strangely clear. That was nice, I thought to myself, “perhaps I judged too soon.” That was before it took me thirty-five minutes to find a parking space.

I finally found a parking space about ten blocks away that I’m still not even sure was a parking spot. Of course by that time though I was so happy to have found something I accepted the circumstances cheerfully. I squeezed into the spot, climbed out of the car, threw on some tunes via the ipod and started out on my way. Now, it’s completely possible that the feelings that followed were really only in contrast to the boiling rage and frustration that’d consumed me the past thirty-five minutes or maybe the entrancing melodies of Anathallo, but there was a bizarre sense of peace walking down the city street with all of my new stranger friends. Ten blocks went by in no time, and after I’d made my rental there was even a hint of, “Bill, maybe you should find some coffee shop and just hang out for a while.” That voice though, I’m pretty convinced, was just my brain trying to convince me not to rejoin the gigantic metal ant-farm.

Well, appealing to the very least of my expectations, retreating from the city was quite painless. And that’s when it hit me, this incredible spiritual truth that I derived from this adventure. No, I’m just kidding. As I was driving out, I thought to myself that there must be some spiritual lesson that I can learn from all this so that I can write my blog for the day. It didn’t come. But you know what, that’s okay.

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