Wanderings.

About 17 years ago, I graduated from High School, and one of the nice gifts I got was a $25 Gift Certificate from The Gap from Jeff, Becky and Jason. Apparently, I never spent it, and it cropped up a couple of years ago when i was going through a storage bin full of keepsakes, etc. It then moved to my inbox where it stayed for a couple of years.

I would have spent it sooner* but I wanted to share it with someone. Then I remembered it when I was going to see Diana, that she used to shop at The Gap a lot. So Diana, McKarthy and I went to the Gap to combine our gift certificates and get a gift…

We looked around The Gap trying to find something either one of us or McKarty would or could wear. Nothing was really striking me. Nice clothes, just nothing that fit in with my other stuff now. And Diana was the same way. The Gap had moved on to the next generation. And we had “fallen into The Gap”** so to speak.

Then Diana spotted a purse that our friend Erika might enjoy! Or even if she doesn’t it might end up running through her sewing machine one way or another to create pure excellence of the best possible kind….It was under $25, so that would allow Diana to keep her certificate until she saw something she liked…and would allow us to turn my old paper one into something someone could enjoy….***

We weren’t sure what to expect from a 17 year old gift certificate, but Nemi spoke with the cash register for a while and made it work! GAP earned points in my book, and Nemi definitely did.

Happy Birthday Erika! We like your slippers!!*****

* “Sooner” meant sometime in the last 2 years – not in the last 17…
** ‘Fall into The Gap’ was one of their advertising things back in The Day.
*** I’m honoring our friend with these ellipses.
**** It has been brought to my attention that I am eternally sipping on a cup of tea.
***** “I don’t know why I said that” – Andrea

I ran and walked around the neighborhood during the day on Friday, 2 getting a feeling for the neighborhood. This is a pretty nice neighborhood in San José. Even in a normal setting like a neighborhood, I am constantly reminded of the natural beauty surrounding us in Costa Rica. The mountains are always visible. The hills make driving interesting. When a lot is overgrown, there aren’t just a couple of weeds here and there – tropical wildlife just springs up from the ground to heights of 4 meters, and colonies of birds nest.

I arrived at the airport and met Rodolfo just after noon, and called Mom and Dad to let them know I arrived safely. As I walked off the plane, I knew my jacket wouldn’t be necessary here. After Rodolfo picked me up and we caught up a bit, we went and had lunch at Inka Grille. The Octapus was well prepared, and spicy-sweet. We drank Chicha morada. It was sweet and refreshing.

Afterwards, we went back to the house and I read and chilled for a bit. Rodolfo had some business to attend to for HP, including a conference call. We caught up between calls while I looked up Costa Rican stuff on the internet, read, made phonecalls, etc.

Later, Adriana Cedeño, Federico, Neyurive, and I went to Taco Bell. And yes, I do see the irony there, but one of us had a craving for it regardless of the inauthenticity of Taco Bell in relation to Costa Rican cuisine.

As we were looking out into the parking lot, we thought we had lost the car. I (The Gringo) said, “Mae!, Donde está mi carro?!” The memory is so fond that if I had construction paper right here with photos and an oversized binder, I would make a scrapbook.

It is wonderful to be alive, and to be free. Its my birthday, and although I worked today, I enjoyed some retrospection. One thing I noticed is I often avoid writing in my blog because I don’t have all my other posts in order, or because the NSA, CIA or some space alien might read it. Who cares. You only live once.

Victor Frankl talks about freedom, as opposed to liberty. He was a neo-Freudian who believed in stimulus and response. During his time in a Nazi concentration camp during WWII, he came to the realization amidst the horrors, that though the guards and the camp itself may have taken away many of his liberties, no one could take away his freedom. His freedom had to do with being able to choose a response.

Steven Covey talks about this in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Animals do stimulus and response, but one of the things that sets us apart is that we can actually choose a different response than one we have been conditioned to repeat.

These are among the many things I am thankful for today: Freedom, enough food to eat, a place to live and call my space, clothes to wear, and water to drink. Basic needs are not to be taken for granted. I have friends, and a comfortable life. In the next year, I hope to add more meaning to this life.