The next morning John woke up entangled in arms he didn’t recognize, and felt an odd pang of loss. It was in this very scenario that he first woke up with his future wife, and, looking over and seeing the pretty journalist, he felt the painful realization that he would never wake up with her again. He shook the cobwebs out of his head and remembered that he and Amy had retired to his room to continue their conversation about love, and had would up agreeing to fall asleep together. It was an odd and empty consolation prize considering the life he had only recently experienced.
For a moment John once again channeled his cosmic time-traveler, and remembered how he and Stephanie had also woken up in a fog, and how what followed were the most surprising and even miraculous events of his life. He knew instinctively that this would never happen to him again, but still, having experienced the impact of a lightening strike the first time, he left himself open to the idea that he had something to learn here.
“So, are we going to be weird this morning or are we going to be friends,” Amy said as she laughed.
“Weird. Weird for sure,” John said as he smiled, while also realizing it was the first time he had truly laughed since he first heard the news that would change his life.
“Well, okay then. As long as we’re on the same page. I’m a journalist buddy. We’re supposed to drink like this, but honestly I’m a little worried about you. So how long do you think this Bourbon tour of yours is going to go on?”
“You know I was just thinking about that. Somehow I feel like I have learned all I was supposed to learn from Memphis on this particular spin. I was actually thinking of heading to the Grand Canyon if you can believe that. I worked there when I was 22 and I kind of wanted to see what has changed.”
“Still a big Canyon bud. Has been since before you and I were here and will be long after we are gone. I have to admit I’m becoming a little fascinated by this little tour of yours. You remind me a little bit of some kind of genius Peter Pan. Know what the first line of that book is? “All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.” Sounds a lot like the things you write about if you ask me.”
“So, are we going to be weird this morning or are we going to be friends,” Amy said as she laughed.
“Weird. Weird for sure,” John said as he smiled, while also realizing it was the first time he had truly laughed since he first heard the news that would change his life.
“Well, okay then. As long as we’re on the same page. I’m a journalist buddy. We’re supposed to drink like this, but honestly I’m a little worried about you. So how long do you think this Bourbon tour of yours is going to go on?”
“You know I was just thinking about that. Somehow I feel like I have learned all I was supposed to learn from Memphis on this particular spin. I was actually thinking of heading to the Grand Canyon if you can believe that. I worked there when I was 22 and I kind of wanted to see what has changed.”
“Still a big Canyon bud. Has been since before you and I were here and will be long after we are gone. I have to admit I’m becoming a little fascinated by this little tour of yours. You remind me a little bit of some kind of genius Peter Pan. Know what the first line of that book is? “All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.” Sounds a lot like the things you write about if you ask me.”
“Interesting you say that,” John replied. “I find myself thinking about and ruminating on what Nietzche called eternal return all the time. What if we just have to keep doing this all over again? Is it worth the pain? The loss? If so, maybe being an adventurous nomad is the way to go. Just be some kind of stone that keeps rolling without picking up any kind of moss. I don’t know. For a sacred moment in my life I didn’t believe that at all. Now I can’t fathom wanting to feel this kind of pain over again.”
“Well I tell you buddy, I’m not sure I can ease your pain, but I do get this strange feeling I’m going to be seeing you again. I have to admit I’m actually feeling a little more hopeful after spending a little time with you, depressing as you are. I’m going to leave you with my card, and I hope you’ll call me sometime. One fellow traveler to another. Maybe we can help each other out in some way.”
“Well I tell you buddy, I’m not sure I can ease your pain, but I do get this strange feeling I’m going to be seeing you again. I have to admit I’m actually feeling a little more hopeful after spending a little time with you, depressing as you are. I’m going to leave you with my card, and I hope you’ll call me sometime. One fellow traveler to another. Maybe we can help each other out in some way.”
As John watched her gather her things and head for the door, he shook his head and smiled at her bravado. In another life he would have wanted to know a lot more about her, but for now he knew it was time to get out of Memphis and continue on his journey. He grabbed her card and put in his wallet, and thought about Peter Pan as he started to pack up and get ready to hit the road.
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