So Happy Easter .... may the light of resurrection light our lives ...

5 years and counting .... who would have thought? In my untrained, man-eyes, 5 years does seem like a solid amount of time for a marriage. It is not bad at all - so 5 years and 2 toddlers later here we are, celebrating this evening but I am not sure how.  Maybe getting everyone to sleep just a little bit earlier would be celebration enough. Maybe not ....

Heeeeeeeeeeere is Johny ....

What's eight months ? It's nothing - it is nothing compared to eternity, but I guess it is something, compared to what has taken place. Father again - sleepless again, and the receipient of those first-thing-in-the-morning smiles that only toddlers and young children can give you.

I have aged, my hair has gone grey and I have put on weight, which I cannot seem to shake off. I do not find time to visit any new eateries or funky new places around town; I am calculating incomes and expenses as I did when I was 20 years old, but somehow there is a sense of achievement -- and a sense that all is possible. I cannot seem to shake that - maybe it's the optimist in me seeking satisfaction.

The Monday after the weekend before -- could it be? balance at last? After two evening family dates, I must say I smile thinking about weekend and our mountainous excursion. There was rest - there was sleep, there was calm and there was walking and food and overall things falling into place. Naturally there is a long way to go --- but still ...

How can teeth break like that? And it does not hurt me yet but it will I know it. It is one of those things when you know you will simply pay for it later. Like Saturday, we ended up paying for that later. Is that how the cosmos gets balanced? One day of fun and relaxation and another day of vomiting, worry and sleeplessness? I wonder how it works - how prepared must we be to stay ahead of the game?

A lot of what I write about deals with the ability to face the world - the inner strength to cope and deal with the situations that we are challenged with. Reading past entries I regret that so much of it talks about the need for inner strength, as if a special extra reservoir of power is needed for a simple day in the office. When will i learn??? This is it... as good as it gets, as bad as it gets, as everyday as it gets. The kids have fever, the emails are pouring, the stress is mounting, and the beach was relaxing, dinner was fantastic, and along with everything else -- this is everyday.

A long weekend..

We are fast approaching mid-June and as I try to hold my thoughts together my mind feels like exploding most of the time.

As I was waiting for my son to exit from his swim lesson two days ago, I noticed another father not too far from where I was standing. Almost 40 years old, generally non-descript -- and then I read his T-shirt "DRUNKEN LADIES - FREE BREATHALYZER TEST - BLOW HERE" with a bright arrow pointing down to his genitals. So I sat there bemused for a moment and ever since I have been asking myself the same question.. what kind of a father/husband/man a) wears something like that, and b) picks up their son from the gym dressed like that, with more kids around ???

And I am sure he knew what it said -- and even if he did not that massive arrow must have given some sort of clue!

Are people really that different? Are we fundamentally different and NOT cloned from a single mould millions of years back? Is it a baffling thought especially as we struggle to pretend how interconnented we all are -- I guess whoever thinks that has not seen that T-shirt!!!

So it's been a long time -- freakishly long actually to the point where I was wondering whether I had simply run out of things to say. The past few months, well the first six of 2011 altogether have certainly been taxing in sooo many ways but really fulfilling in a few others. It seems that the cosmos is intent on balancing good and bad - not toooo much good or we will get spoiled. And I guess that keeps the too-much-bad away as well, which is itself a good thing!

As we are sinking deeper into economic collapse is this time to count our blessings yet again? As we are facing deadends all around is this the time to look up rather than ahead? As we are exhausted from our lives is this time to look for love rather than money?

There was a time when airports were buzzing... people were interesting, the traveling sort, and the place was a gateway rather than an 'enclosure' in itself. Nowadays I feel that airports are simply there to contain people rather than set them free on their way. Everyone looks dull, uninterested and most importantly un-interesting. It is a sad fate for the human forced to interface repeatedly in the airports of the world, all desensitized with the grim veil of uniformity. I was travelling over the past couple of days and there simply was no telling where I was. All airports look the same now.

I remember an argument regarding Athens' old airport - simply 'inappropriate', 'too small', 'too close to town', mostly correct all those arguments but that airport did feel like home, the entire construction reflected felt like it belonged in that capital and nowhere else. Now as throngs of sheep-like passengers are shuttled from one sad airport to the other, it makes no difference where they are going to or where they are coming from. We might as well stay home ...