 |
It's been a day... or two.
Yesterday, my sister, Stacey, lost her baby in the womb. She was 30 weeks pregnant. Today, she went into surgery, had the baby removed, and held her son for the first and last time. I find myself unable to articulate how sorrow-filled this has left me. My sister is the sweetest, most empathic soul I have ever known, and the thought of her in such physical and emotional distress left me crouched in a corner behind the office, sobbing. Today was spent on the phone, trying to get details, and figuring out who is going to fly up to help take care of things.
This, of course, occurs in the midst of crunch-time. For those not in the know, this defines the period of time during a project when sleep, family and fun become and unaffordable luxury, where twelve hours in the office makes you look like a slacker. Yeah, take one for the team, you know? Because making a video game is worth losing everything: your friends, your family, your soul. E3 is this week and I'm not going. "Why?" you ask... Well, because ONE, there's too much work to do, and TWO, I really don't care anymore.
Okay, so I'm venting. A bit. But I'm coping. I'm eating right. I'm working out. I'm getting my blood-pressure under control. Angie and I are taking long walks every evening. Like tonight. We took a vigorous walk up the steep street that leads from our house toward CalArts. A good, sweaty, vigorous walk. The kind of walk where you start to remember how good your life is. At the top of the hill, there's a little, concrete bench, overlooking the local community college. We take a breather, listen to the school clock's chime and continue on our walk.
I'm not sure what we were talking about, but whatever it was, I was caught completely off-guard by the large cup of frozen yogurt that slammed into me. Apparently, the source of this projectile dessert, was the car full of teenagers that had just zipped passed. I turned, in an instinctive attempt to see my attackers and was struck from behind by a second cup, launched from a second car.
I snapped.
I'm running at a full sprint, after the cars.
I'm planning...
...two cars, probably 4 people in each. They'll get out the cars in staggered pairs. I can take the down the first two easy, they won't even know what hit them. They're expecting a stand off, but that's not what I'm gonna give them. They next two will be coming from the other side the of car. Easy. I'll drop one at the left, rear fender, and the next as he tries to come around to see what's happening. Now, for the real fight. Car number two. The next four will likely be grouped, somewhere between the...
I stop running.
Fifty meters at a sprint, and I'm not even breathing hard. I look back to see Angie jogging after me, panting and looking both confused and concerned. The cars round the corner, accelerating away. I reassure her and attempt to wipe myself off. We decide to cut our walk short and head home.
A drink and quick shower later finds me on the couch, thinking about my sister, and pondering the inner-workings of my own psyche. Did I really try to chase down two cars... on foot?
Thanks, I just needed to share.
|
|
| - Lars |
|
|
|
|
.jpg)
