Autumnal Anticipation of Advent

First things first; aren’t these just the most attractive white people you’ve ever seen in your life. And aren’t they just living the life? My jealousy is rather unparalleled. And my admiration.

I’m glad to see there are people out there having a lovely time. Or pretending to have a lovely time for a camera so that I can imagine that somewhere in the world, people are having a lovely time. Life has occasionally, lately, let me glimpse into the undercurrent of unremitting loveliness that God pushes intravenously into the world. But only occasionally.

Otherwise, things have been fairly difficult and unlovely. Hopes are often disappointed in life, confirming incrementally that we assume too many promises and never a realistic amount of indifference on the part of the universe. However, having hopes disappointed just in time to fall desperately ill and thereby tumble desperately behind the logistical demands of new semesters, new jobs is enough to bring a generally easy-going young man to despair of ever climbing out. Or, at least, finding a small, natural peace before the supernatural peace of Advent leaps upon us.

Gosh, Advent seems so far away. At least Autumn resides in between. Crisp, crunchy, creaky autumn. Not such an awful in-between, if I can ever get my feet back under me and into a pile of leaves.

I might start writing little pieces of micro-fiction again. I wrote a short story over May and June that I’ve submitted to Esquire’s short story writing contest. I won’t hear anything for months and my hopes are not high that they’ll think anything of it. Still, if I ever get it published anywhere, I’ll be sure to let you know.

I realized I’ve never really commented on the method for those little bits of description and place and person I’d posted here before. I’ll collect a handful of photos (whichever that strike me, for whatever reason) from blogs that I follow, much like the one’s included in this post, and bundle them together around a theme. A color. Or a place. Whatever. Then I’ll open them all up on the desktop of my computer, and just let a scene or a place or an interaction creep out and onto the page.

Then they are all posted together, as you’ve seen. Worse ways to be creative, I suppose.

Once I have a better picture of my new tattoo, I’ll post it.

Godspeed, everybody.