2001-07-29 9:43 p.m. Just west of Frederick, up on Braddock Mountain, there's an out of the way scenic overlook in the middle of an out of the way state park. The park itself is utterly unremarkable. No significant historic value. No natural wonders, just a few miles of trail surrounded by acres of trees. The only reason I know of this particualr overlook is that I found it, like many things in my life, when I was completely lost. And what a discovery. The overlook faces east and from it your gaze (on a clear day of course) ranges from Pennsylvania to Virginia and, just barely, to the outskirts of Washington. It's the type of place I like to go when I'm filled with happiness or filled with despair. For me, the overlook is a place of extremes. There is no in between. Yesterday, I was running errands, doing nothing special, and in a great mood. Part of it was the beautiful weather, part of it was the feeling of unbound freedom that the weekend instills in me, but most of it was the phonecall I got from cutieGal earlier that morning. I'd rather not go into a description, but suffice it to ssay, every day she gives me one more reason to be smitten by her. So I drove to the overlook to, well, look over Maryland and to give thanks to the gods of existence for the circumstances they've put me in. That's where I met him. I wasn't alone at the overlook. His name was Ed. He was sixty four and had a habit of visiting my spot for much the same reasons I did. We eyed eachother warily at first. As untrusting as any two people would be when unexpectedly meeting eachother miles from the nearest telephone. But Ed wanted to talk, and I didn't mind listening, and so I did. He was retired, after many years as an electrician for the U.S. Army. The reason he was at the overlook was his wife. He was having problems with her, see, and didn't have any one to talk to. His friends had either moved to Florida or died and Ed felt the most comfortable up at the overlook. The marriage just wasn't the same, he told me. He couldn't figure out why, but one day he just realized that the love was gone. He and his wife didn't dislike eachother, but they didn't like eachother either. Ed said coming to that place and looking out over the fields and hills of central Maryland somehow made him feel better, even if it didn't last. He didn't ask for any advice from me, which was good because I didn't have any. Nor did he ask what brought me to the overlook, which was good, because my happiness would be hard to mask if I had told the truth. Ed just wanted to talk and seemed grateful not to have to repeat his problems to the trees. Eventually I left. Wishing Ed the best, but still happy. Still grateful, too. It's not every day you meet your reflection. downtown----uptown leave me a note, fool!

designed by mocksie. brought to you by diaryland.