We’ve reached March, against some steep
odds, which brings with it the beginning of Lent, time that always brings the
divergent Catholicism views within my marriage into sharp focus. It will surprise
no one that the more ardent Catholic is my Favorite Panamanian. While she
listens to mass and prays the rosary daily I’m a lot more modest in my
approach. I (and she) blame it on growing up Episcopal and their less stringent
requirements. Henry VIII did something good (other than Elizabeth the 1st)
after all I guess. This means there will be “discussions” over the next forty
days as to why I’m eating meat on Friday ranging up to why I’m a pagan in all but
name (I’ve always thought that last part was a bit harsh).
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| Wife and Tia Loca Sunset Beach Dancing |
Yesterday marked the end of Carnivale in
Panama and the condo complex started to empty. It had been uncharacteristically
full over the past few days. There was a group of nearly twenty young Panamanians
in one condo that had everybody concerned about when they arrived. They turned
out to be hard partiers (go figure) but they kept their antics under control. They
had the swagger and disdain for everybody else, since eighteen-year-olds have
the world all figured out but there were no drunken rampages. We marked the end
of Carnivale with another beach day. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We lost
Tia Loca this morning which is a huge loss in the party quotient. She had to return
to work. We were marking the nightly spectacular sunset last evening when my Favorite
Panamanian and Tia Loca broke into an impromptu dance party and I was the one
drinking beer (being the devout pagan I am).
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| That Sunset |
With the winding down of activities I’ve
found myself with more time to read. I had avoided it for nearly a month because
my thoughts while trying to read inevitably leapt to the unfairness of the Soxfather
situation. I tried to exert a little more self-discipline because he would have
hated being the cause of such an interruption of something I deeply and truly
love – reading. If nothing else, Soxfather was all about the written word. After
I got started, I fell into the old rhythms of devouring the written word
voraciously. While I was home I downloaded 21 of the old John D MacDonald
Travis McGee books.
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| Beach This Morning |
Travis was my first literary hero. I
started reading him in high school. I awaited with an eagerness bordering on desperation
for MacDonald to publish another novel in the series and fell into a deep funk
when MacDonald passed away in the 1980s. A testament to my hopeless fandom was the
absolute need to visit the Bahia Mar marina (where McGee parked his mythical houseboat)
before any bars in Fort Lauderdale when I went there for spring break in
college. McGee was the first to enter my pantheon of literary heroes where he
joined eventually by Lucas Davenport, Harry Bosch, Scott Horvath, Virgil
Flowers, Matt Scudder, Stu Redmond, Mitch Rapp, and most recently Jack NMN
Reacher. Travis however was the original and his novels stand the test of time.
I last read the books seven years ago so it was prime time I got back to my favorite
knight errant.
Re-reading a beloved book, or series of
books, feels like donning a beloved comfortable old coat that the wife may not
truly approve of but understands its importance to you. I slipped right back
under McGee’s spell as he ambled around the Busted Flush (his houseboat) rescuing
damsels and recovering his 50% with his sketchy salvage business. Reading McGee
again is truly akin to therapy as I learn to deal with a less colorful world I
find myself occupying. McGee was all about color (see titles of the book
series) and while he would need some updating in today’s world, I think he
would thrive. I find myself in the tropical environs similar to his usual
hunting grounds and it makes the reading even more fun. Lesson learned – when in
pain, find something you love and do it, despite the pain. Pain cannot stand up
to someone like McGee.
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RECURRING CHARACTERS
BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first
granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best
Family Athlete - my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since
high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great
Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue
about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten
whom I reunited with after many years; Pittsburgh
College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in
Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard
deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two
close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3rd musquetera
(musketeer); Riggins - also known as
the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals
– female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife
accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia
member, Favorite Panamanian - the
wife (of course); First Friday –
celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her
single days in Brooklyn
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