Thursday, April 3, 2008

Shawn's UK Adventure Part 11

Monday, feb 4th, 2002

Taking the 100 bus to Edinburgh airport shortly after noon.

I'm sitting next to Joe in the very back of the bus writing this listening intently to 'Manchester Station'. It's a track by another local chicago band called Sour Deluxe. It's fucking brilliant; one of those creations borne of the artists longing for something that was. Big, weeping guitars force the heartfelt testimonials from the singer, a girl named Jamie something-or-other's lungs. Practically holding back my own tears as the bus pulls us ever further out of this city I've grown to love in just five days and the chorus swells up - a sentimental meathook that tears into the part of me that has absorbed this place and it's people; the moods and atmopspheres shown to me and my kin as travelers here. Cheesy but this is one of those moments where the phrase 'The time of my life' begins to echo through me, like Steven Keaton preaching to Alex about going away to college or some other such bullshit. Only difference is this is real. This is the time of my life. Not that there won't be others, but this, this is something else. It occurrs to me that this is what life is all about - this bittersweet feeling of living and leaving. And maybe that's the key. Many of the highest impact moments in my life have been fleeting. Weeks on vacation, friends, lovers, whatever. To have and hold these times, these feelings in our life and then be able to let them go, so they always stay pure. and maybe thats the key to life and to dying. To be able to come to the end of your life and have your memories.

2 comments:

Missi Schmid said...

I hear that. it seems like you're always trying to hold onto something, but you can't quite keep the grip. It slips through your fingers & gets away from you. You get close to people & after while they walk away. why are the best things always fleeting? is this how it is for everyone?

are we all just flitting around looking for the next thing to hold onto?

Big In Day-town said...

Joe? As in Joe Todd? ;-)