Counting Potatoes

Blue Moon

I've never seen one but I know it is often used to describe something so rare, something that usually happens only once in our lives that the moment etches itself onto our souls. Now, I may have never seen a blue moon, or have ever found a four-leaf clover for that matter - but thinking bout it, life has instead graced me with some of these kind of moments I'll probably remember for the rest of my life.

Mental snapshots, I call them. For I take the time to remember everything I see and then close my eyes to remember the touch, the smell, the sounds of everything around me whenever my life transcends beyond everyday existence - I suck out the marrow of life so to speak, from the sweetest to the most bitter, from the happiest chapters to the darkest, from the peak of success to the precipice of utter failure.

Life, is never more vivid, than at the edges of its spectrum..

Like the comfort, smell and bumps of my own dorm bunk after 2 nights sleeping out in the field during ROTC training.

The taste of roasted meat after 5 days of canned sardines, instant champorado and pancit canton during a particularly bad college allowance recession.

The first noisy family dinner together after months of eating apart when it seems everything was lost but the family.

The taste of fast food and pizza after months of subsisting on cigarettes and carenderia leftovers as we try to get our house budget back on track.

The first hundred thousand in savings after years of agonizing over the long term viability and trying to push our online experiment onto solid ground.

The second chance that was given for us to say goodbye to our father after months of frustration and anger over his stubbornness.

The development of our first site after years of planning and frustration.

Several months ago, my sister and I were having this weird coffee conversation about humanity and its goal of perfection..

Cyborgs and the eradication of death.,

Time travel and the eradication of pain, regrets and mistakes.,

gene therapy and the eradication of physical discontent..

without the usual bumps, gridlocks, challenges and strife of everyday life, would we still recognize perfection for what it is?

Without tasting really horrible food, how can we say something tastes great?

Without experiencing illness, coughs, sprains, fevers and LBM, how can we say we feel great?

Without death, would life mean more?

Without mistakes, would success still stand for something?

Without pain and regret, would we still recognize happiness and second chances when it comes?

Without imperfections, compromise and forgiveness, would love still be love?

A blue moon..,

without one extreme of life giving meaning to the other,

would anyone even notice?

	Blue Moon