Once again, a birthday looms next week, not a huge deal to me but a time of measuring, reflecting, looking forward. I know Maria is getting me at least one present, a Jewish Pirate’s Tattoo – I was shocked this week to learn there were Jewish Pirates Of The Caribbean – which my friend the artist Alex will give me next week on my birthday at ll a.m. (I have an appointment) at Mountainside Tattoos in Bellows Falls, Vt. I made the appointment online and e-mailed Alex an image of the tattoo, a Star of David with skulls embedded at the points. He is ready. Alex is high-tech. We will head out there in the morning and end up at our favorite inn, where they do not ask for a doctor’s note if you are sick and need to cancel.
Got a good spot on my right forearm above the “Maria” tattoo.
I was thinking about birthday’s, about gifts, about what I really wanted beyond my tattoo.
And this was my list:
– I wanted to bring love into my life and share my life with someone I love and who loves me.
– I want to make a creative and successful transition as a writer from one kind of publishing life to another.
– I want to be paid for the work I do.
– I want to live a life with animals, so that I can study them and write about them.
– I want my daughter to be happy and successful.
– I want my wife to be happy and successful.
– I want to live with wonderful dogs, dogs I love, dogs I can work with, dogs that expand my life and
mark it’s passages.
– I want to be a photographer whose work sometimes brushes against the hearts and souls of people, and
helps me to see the world.
– I want to have good friends I can care about and who care about me.
– I want a spiritual life.
– I want my blog, which is the heart of my creative life, to grow, be successful, be current. I want to use new technology
but not surrender my life to it.
– I want to write every day of my life, e-books, paper books, blog posts.
– I want my dog Red to live his life to his great and full potential.
– I want to l live and eventually die on my farm.
– I want to teach people how to write and share what I have learned.
– I want to lead a meaningful life, finally free of panic and anger.
-I want to work to learn how to be a real man, how to loving instead of demeaning,
encouraging instead of destructive, affirming rather than angry and divisive.
Wow, it’s a big list and an important one, and a difficult one.
And yes, I see reading this that I already have everything I could possibly want.
A tattoo is the only thing left.