Yesterday I went to the “celebration of life” for my dear friend Abby. When I got home, I tried to take a nap. I tried and I failed.
My head was racing with all the familiar faces I had seen, the stories we swapped, and the warm, fuzzy feelings that linger after being in a room full of people who genuinely cared about and loved someone.
It was a beautiful gathering. Around 100 tender-hearted people came from near and far to celebrate and remember a woman who clearly left a mark wherever she went.
I knew Abby for almost a decade, but yesterday I realized I only knew a small sliver of her life. Listening to friends and family share their memories, I kept discovering new things about her. Talents I never knew about. Adventures she’d had before our paths crossed. Whole chapters of a story I’d only read a few pages of….
By the time I got home, I wasn’t just wide awake. I was sniffly and had some body aches too. Emotional hangovers and seasonal allergies can be a tricky combo. So before bed I took a swig of NyQuil.
And I slept like a baby. A drugged baby who drooled on his pillow.
This morning I woke up late and I’m still having trouble waking up. It’s a foggy morning outside and inside my brain is just as foggy…and groggy. Methinks the combination of yesterday’s emotional celebration and the ongoing seasonal allergies has me officially wiped out.
Not in the surfer way. Not in the surfer music way.
No, this is the other kind of wipeout. The kind where the emotional tide rolls in stronger than expected and knocks you flat on your ass.
So once I hit “publish” on this post, I’m officially taking the rest of the day off to recharge and reflect. I might do a little more photo research later. No promises.
For those keeping track, I have videos in the works for both Substack and YouTube. But they can wait until tomorrow.
Today I feel like crap and think I might feel worse if I don’t take a break today.
Sometimes the best thing you can do when the tide turns on you is simple:
Float for a while. Breathe.
Let the water settle.
Tomorrow will come soon enough.
Keep calm and surf on!
Clint 🌈✌️
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY
03-23 = Ernstine Eckstein (1941-1992) = American activist 🌈
03-23 = J. C. Leyendecker (1874-1951) = German-born American illustrator 🌈
03-23 = Pekka Haavisto (1958- ) = Finnish politician 🌈
03-23 = Perez Hilton (1978- ) = American blogger 🌈
03-23 = Prince Felix Yusupov (1887-1967) = Russian aristocrat 🌈
03-23 = Terry Sweeney (1950- ) = American comedian, actor, and writer 🌈
MAN CRUSH OF THE DAY
“A good cover has a distinct silhouette.”
J. C. Leyendecker
Clint, Glad the celebration of Abby went well. It helps the person to be immediately present again and that can be exhausting. Looking forward to your next travel diary cruse. Fondly, Michael
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