Musings & Thoughts for Saturday, February 3, 2024, or: Weekend Dilemma – Do I Write? Or Do I Sloth?

Early Afternoon, Saturday, February 3, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Saturday edition of A Certain Point of View, Too. This is my 1,418^th post, and I’m writing it on a sunny mid-winter day in New England. Currently, the temperature is 36°F (2°C) under sunny skies. With humidity at 41% and the wind blowing from the east-northeast at 5 MPH (9 Km/H), the feels-like temperature is 46°F (8°C). Today’s forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 36°F (2°C).

I usually write these posts in the morning, but I woke up much too early – at 5:20 AM – and couldn’t go back to sleep again. Naturally, I’m a bit tired, both in body and mind, so I’m not really in “writer mode” now. Maybe I’ll feel a bit more energetic later – I planned to do some work on Chapter 13’s fourth scene today, and I still hope I can – but right now all I want to do is take it easy and read a book, watch a movie, or listen to music.

(I already played a session of Regiments, so gaming is not on my agenda, at least not for the short term.)

Oh, and I still need to go outside for my daily dose of sunlight and fresh air. I’ll do that after I publish this post.

On Writing and Storytelling: Reunion: Coda Status Update

Well, yesterday I started Scene Four of Reunion: Coda’s 13^th chapter – Goodbye, Farewell, and Adios, aka “The One About Commencement.” It wasn’t an easy task; I had a hard time with the opening line, even though I knew what the scene was about, what my narrator/protagonist (Jim Garraty, in his high school incarnation) was feeling and thinking about, and the overall milieu of his commencement ceremony at Miami-Dade Community College’s South Campus in June of 1983.

It wasn’t until 3:30 PM that I figured out how to begin the scene, and I managed to write 705 words (roughly two pages’ worth of manuscript) before tiredness and the lateness of the evening – the sun was setting at the time – forced me to stop working.

Obviously, Scene Four is still a work in progress (WIP), and it needs a lot of finessing, but if you’re at all interested in a sneak peek, here’s a brief excerpt:

I was restless in my seat, which was assigned by the alphabet. I was stuck between Cindy Garcia, who had a nice ass, and Devon Gerrison, who had a bad case of acne.

Alex Diaz-Granados, Reunion: Coda

4

1:20 PM, Miami-Dade Community College, South Campus, Theodore R. Gibson Center

The South Miami High band was a sorry sight. Nothing but juniors and sophomores, since the seniors had ditched their instruments for white robes and caps with tassels that said “83”. They were supposed to play Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance No. 1, the Graduation March, but it sounded more like a funeral dirge. Mr. Braxton, the band teacher, and the head of the Music Department, tried to keep them in tune, but it was hopeless. They butchered the piece, which I knew was written in 1901 for some British king’s coronation, with every note. We, the graduates, shuffled into the Gibson Center, a massive concrete bunker that usually hosted volleyball matches and other sports events. The band kept playing the same part of the song over and over, the part that goes “Land of Hope and Glory.” It was ironic, really, because none of us felt much hope or glory as we sat down on the metal folding chairs that the College had provided. They were cold, hard, and uncomfortable – marring (for me, at least) what was supposed to be a joyous occasion.

I was restless in my seat, which was assigned by the alphabet. I was stuck between Cindy Garcia, who had a nice ass, and Devon Gerrison, who had a bad case of acne. I looked around for my mom, hoping to see her smiling face. She had shoulder-length red hair and a bright yellow summer dress, but I couldn’t spot her in the sea of people. There were too many of them, about 3,000, I had heard. And I was too far from the stands, in the middle of the graduating class. The only person I recognized – besides the gaggle of teachers and assistant principals seated in front of the dais –  was School Board member Janet McAliley, the designated guest speaker. She was sitting on the stage, chatting quietly with our principal, Dr. Burke.

The Anthem started playing, and I stood up with the rest of the graduates. I put my hand over my heart and mouthed the words, but I wasn’t paying attention. I was drifting away, into a dream-like state. I imagined I was somewhere else, somewhere more fun, more exciting, more alive. Maybe I was at the Dadeland Triple Theater, watching Return of the Jedi with Mark and our small group of close friends. Or maybe I was at home, watching TV with my mom, who always made me laugh. Or maybe I was on a date with Marty at the Rusty Pelican or even in New York City. Anything but here.

The Pledge came next, and I repeated it mechanically, without feeling. I didn’t care about the flag, or the republic, or the liberty and justice. I cared about leaving Miami, my home, my mom, and everything I knew and loved. I had a scholarship to Harvard, to study history, something I was passionate about. But I was scared, too. Scared of failing, of being alone, of not fitting in. I wondered if I had made the right choice, if I was ready for this big change, or if I would ever come back to South Florida.

***

Well, I better go ahead and put on my snow boots and go outside before I go into “sloth” mode and decide to skip the brief excursion to the front yard. So, until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, stay warm, and I’ll catch you on the sunny side of things.