Monday, 1/13

I never really thought of it that way.

I know I say my life is weird a LOT in here, and it is. But Friday I realized that it can be weird in a good way, so let me explain. Friday morning I went to shoot an episode of “High School Bowl”, followed by a stop at the History Center to shoot more video (a promotional clip for “Legends & Lore II”), after which I hightailed my butt to work. That's a typical day for me, just one of the reasons my life is indeed weird.

But when I finally did get to my radio job and was talking to a co-worker something struck me. Because my life is weird, I have several “families” of which I'm lucky enough to be part.

Here's what I mean—you know how we all have a “work” family to go along with our family of friends and our “family family”? Well, because my life is weird, Friday I went to Northern and spent a little time hanging out with my “High School Bowl” family. Then I went to the History Center and hung out with my history family. Then I went to work and dealt with my radio family. Finally, I went home and hugged my “family family” (ie Loraine).

That's four different families, four different groups of people with whom I spent time on Friday. And that's not even counting my TV 19 “family” or any of my non-work family of friends.

Yes, my life is weird, but I'm insanely lucky because of it.

I have no idea why I never noticed this; maybe I'm just dense or too busy to realize it (or both). But I'm lucky enough to be part of several groups, several worlds, several “families” which I can shuttle between. All of them contain different people, different habits, different goals, different relationships, and different in-jokes, yet I get to be part of them all. Because my life is weird, I get to be part of different groups that would, in all probability, never in any way intersect, never meet. But for me, they DO, and because of that, I'd like to think my life in enriched in a way that most people would never get to experience.

And, as I sit back and ponder it, that's something for which I should be eternally grateful.

So, the next time I say my life is weird (and we both know I'll be saying that a LOT), remind me that yes, Jim, it is. But because of that you get the side benefit of having more “families” than many people ever get to be part of.

And if I have to accept a “weird” life for that? Well, that's a trade I'd be willing to make every single time.

(jim@wmqt.com)