I flew back to LA today after spending a wonderful few days in Washington, D.C. They were filled with great times with loving friends and those kinds of moments that don’t sound extraordinary, but are, like seven of you clustered around a laptop at midnight so you can watch Rod Stewart’s video for “Infatuation” (I can’t even remember how we got started with that one, other than liquor was involved) and sing along. Then that somehow segues into calling up videos of Barry Manilow and Heart on “The Midnight Special” on YouTube, and before you know it, an hour has passed.
So after little sleep and lots of laughs, I returned home. I was too tired to go to the grocery store, but not too tired to stop at the 7-11 near LAX for some chips and a Slim Jim: dinner of champions, my friends, dinner of champions.
When I entered the 7-11, a homeless man very politely greeted me and asked me if he might have any spare change on my way out. When I left the store, I gave him today’s $10 and asked him his name. He said it was Calvin. I asked him what his story was. He told me he was homeless. I asked him what happened. He said he got divorced. I said, “So your ex got it all, huh?” I was about to say “So, she got the goldmine, you got the shaft,” to paraphrase the great old Jerry Reed song, but I figured that might fall flat as Calvin didn’t look like a country fan and it seemed a little inappropriate. Plus, if he’s now homeless, I’m doubting there was much of a goldmine.
Calvin nodded and then added the kicker: “AND she got remarried.”
Man, love stinks sometimes.Tonight, I’m wishing Calvin a safe, warm place to sleep and help for his broken heart.
April 29: Calvin
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