The Pearl

Friday afternoon, and I think I'm heading home. My head hurts and my bones ache and the glands in my neck are sore. What the heck, I have sick time. What a concept. When you're working for yourself, the idea of getting paid while you're sick or on vacation and not working and still making money just isn't a concept that's in your world. This office life sure can be cushy at times.

And a big project that was supposed to start on Tuesday still hasn't appeared. It's going to come down all next week, when I'll still be sick. So, better to just take care of myself. The train's right outside my door, both here at work and at home now. Nicest thing in the world, to be able to sleep in. I used to get up at 5:30 when I had to get Kathryn off to school and then get a train. When she wasn't there I got a whole extra half hour in bed. Whoo-hoo!

The world has changed so much for me. About 180 degree. (People always say 360 degrees, but if you turned 360 degrees you'd be facing the same way you started. It's like people say, I could care less, when they mean they couldn't care less.) Every day I feel like a kid in a candy store. I feel like Kino, in The Pearl. I have this beautiful pearl and I'm afraid people will take it away from me. Take it away from me again. People are like that. They see someone has something nice, they either want it, or they want to destroy it. I like to share, but some people just take. They don't respect boundaries, or they're just plain greedy. Or just mean. I told Sue if anyone asks her how we like to the new neighborhood, to tell them there are hookers and heroin addicts on every corner. Let the world stay away, and let Sue and me be by ourselves.