GRATITUDE

The temperature has been on a steady decline for several months now. For the first time in nearly a decade, I've been able to experience the natural course of autumn. The brilliant procession of deciduous trees; leaves falling to earth, southern migration of our feathered friends. To me, the cooling climate is a natural element of the arriving holiday season, and it has been sorely missed for some years now.

Before leaving California, I met an older gentleman from Michigan and spoke with him about my plans for Chicago. While 90% of the people I'd spoken with about my move looked at me sideways, this gentleman's instinct was to focus on the great value of winter. Not in the cycle of life capacity, but its effect on personal relationships. He spoke of how harsh weather promotes convening indoors, causing us to "slow it down . . to appreciate what we have". I remember the perplexed 90%: how could I even consider leaving paradise? How would I survive a climate that contains rain, snow, sleet, hail, and temperatures below freezing?

Bill Hicks had a great bit at the beginning of Revelations on the subject; "Los Angeles . . every day, hot and sunny, today, hot and sunny, tomorrow, hot and, for the rest of the . . hot and sunny, every single day, hot and sunny . . and they love it. 'Isn't great, every day, hot and sunny?' What are you, a fucking lizard? Only reptiles feel that way about this kind of weather. I'm a mammal, I can afford coats, scarves, cappuccino and rosy cheeked women".

"Slow it down".

The message is simple . . yet crucial. The long standing "gathering around the campfire" is a key element of the human connection. Banding together to battle adverse conditions seems to be a dying trend in our society. The care free mentality I witnessed in California was seemingly impervious to everything short of an earthquake. Protecting from cold builds character, it generates appreciation for clear warm weather when available. The person who best adapts to his surroundings, who stands fast from one extreme to the next, is the most balanced. Seasons are a part of life we all must endure; mentally, physically, and emotionally.

The first decade of the new millennium is coming to a close, and this holiday season comes with a special merit. Along with reintroduction to winter, my relocation has placed me in an environment with the smallest support system to date. Well before the move, I knew the circumstance I was placing myself in. I knew the move would greatly refine and clarify my friendships. As I've always said, we have no contracts. We are free to follow our intuition, and are best served so to do. One reason for the move, among many, was to break new ground. To start from scratch, socially. As I begin my thirties, I enjoy the prospect of making fresh contact with like minded individuals. 2010 will surely be one of the pivotal years of my life.

Irrespective of faith, one thing cannot be denied . . cold weather or warm, the end of the calendar year sets the table for the greatest understanding of what matters most in life. Individuals place different amounts of stock in different compartments of their lives . . some will be overcome with grief at the absence of what means most to them. Yet even times of great sorrow can be taken as experiences of great understanding. My old friend Celso made it clear to me many years back; "Times like these, make you feel, most human". I've long found great peace in those words. Identifying pain, and from where it originates, is key in a persons mental well being.

I send my wholehearted thanks to the inspirational. To the men and women throughout history who took risks and marched to the beat of a different drummer. To those who saw the way the rest of society was doing something and identified its limitation. Those who speak only in truth, often appearing as a voice from the wilderness, risking all they've earned for the all-important purpose of righteousness.

To my family. My parents, grandparents and all who came before. To those who's DNA I am compiled of, whose great qualities I aspire to best represent. Who's hard work paved the way for all of us who came after. To my aunts and uncles who's influence continue to shape my parents and their children; my cousins, coast to coast, unique traits and multifarious journeys abound. To my brother; the greatest man I've ever known, and his incredible family . . beyond words.

To my friends. From New Hampshire to Boston, Maine to Connecticut, Los Angeles to Chicago, and everywhere in between. Though contact may be limited or even extinct, each and every person I've ever called a friend has had an incalculable impact on my life. On this planet of immeasurable personalities and perspectives, my time has been favored with invaluable opportunities to meet some of the greatest characters who ever walked. I am in each and every one of their debts.

Most of all, my heartfelt thanks to the love of my life. The dependable, commonsensical, delight of a woman who's devotion and comfort is unparalleled. The one who's energy has taught me so much about the human spirit, provided such harmony in a world of perpetual uncertainty.

The time I will spend in New England this coming month could not come at a better juncture. For those I will have the great pleasure of spending time with, it's been long overdue. For the rest, I shall enjoy the prospect of crossing paths in the not too distant future. All of my very best, as ever, to you and yours as we move forward.

Together.