It Could Be Worse

I decided I might as well blow off the corporate machine for the day. Best use the would be wasted time for a day of travel. This way I will have at least two full nights in Manhattan that are in no way disturbed by my company. Two nights surrounded by family and incredible people. Self made people who have pursued their passions and in turn ended up in one of the most premier destinations in the world. In life I find the destination is ultimately irrelevant, but in this case we find perhaps the largest percentage per capita of what I like to call "successful journeyman." Talented individuals that have followed their journey to the fullest extent, which happened to land them exactly where I am heading this weekend. I can't consider myself one of those individuals yet, and I might never be able to. However, I respect and envy them to the highest degree.

Fate has it that I happened to pick a miserable day for travel. The sky is an angry grey with blotches of cumulus formations that sporadically shift. A mere spot of brightness can barely be seen in the far stretches of grey. A faint reminder that a battle was somewhere lost, and the sun's energy has been entirely vanquished by the darkness of this day.

I happened to arrive early for the bus on this foul morning. I reason the bus indeed travels this path. I came to this conclusion only by noting a pathetic slanted sign which reads: "DOUBLE HAPPYNESS TRAVEL, INC." The sign is a structure of inorganic irony, surrounded by gloom and a deep pit of mud. Most here aren't so happy right now, much less "double happy." The rain is intense, and the wind is equally fierce. Incredible a company as powerful as DOUBLE HAPPYNESS TRAVEL, INC would opt not to build some sort of crude structure by their bus stop to at least protect their valuable customers from the elements.

I guess it's just always a sunny day at DOUBLE HAPPYNESS TRAVEL. I strongly believe they don't understand bad weather like the logical person, that simply does not compute. It's not that they don't care about their customers, it's just the concept of rain itself at such a "happy" bus stop was inconceivable to the great founder of Double Happyness Travel.

But I do not hate the founder of Double Happyness. I not only respect this great man, I embrace and understand him. If somebody told me it wasn't sunny at my favorite beach I would call them a fucking liar. I would refuse to believe that my beach of choice could be cold or miserable in any way. This is why if I feel like going to a beach located in the Northeast region of the United States in December, I'm damn sure going to still go. And you damn sure won't stop me with your futile logic.

You can bitch at me that it's snowing and 20 degrees outside, but in my mind it's always going to be sunny and 90 degrees at that damn beach. Blanketed with topless girls that should be modeling in a fashion capital somewhere. These girls will also be somehow hopelessly without a boyfriend and throwing themselves at me. So I will be going to my "beautiful beach." That beach is all I have and don't think for one second that you or any other fuck-head possesses the power or logic to take that gift away from me.

I'm not even going to say the beach to me is exactly a state of mind or the state of the bus stop at Double Happyness should be viewed from a relative state of mind. No fuck that, it isn't that simple. This isn't 5th grade, there isn't a simple point or logic for your pleasure. It is 90 degrees at my beach in December. It's state has transcended to a point where it's physical existence has been forever transformed. Likewise, it's always sunny at Double Happy's bus stop, so there's no need to EVER put up shelter.

Lost?

Good, screw off to somewhere else then.

Anyways, I'm still standing outside at this incredibly happy bus stop in some heavy rain and wind. I'm carrying some luggage with both arms, have a sharp pain in my shoulder, and I'm god damn drenched. I don't have an umbrella since I consider that to be a cowards way out. It's ok because I was in a mood to embrace some madness today, even if it comes in the form of rain and wind. Being stuck in an office a week straight will put you in this sort of mood. This logic may ruin my clothes and luggage, but I'll have a good pick up line while dressed in rags at the bar tonight, so maybe it will all balance out.

I briefly think about where I SHOULD be right now, or what I would NORMALLY be obligated to do. Oh right, I would be rotting in a box within a steel skyscraper surrounded by bull-shit somewhere.

I can honestly say that I would rather be standing out here getting blasted by wind and rain with this chronic pain in my shoulder. For that matter, I think I would rather be dropped off forced to camp secluded in the middle of a frozen tundra, left with only ice fishing equipment for survival. Even if I've never ice fished, even if there wasn't ONE FUCKING FISH swimming under me within a 100-mile radius.

I would rather be trekking through an uncharted stretch of jungle, even if my only ticket out was proof that I slayed a mythical lion, which I had to present to the nearest war chief who has a camp 300 miles away. Even if I was told the war chief probably doesn't EVEN EXIST. Even if I first somehow accepted the fact that there was indeed a mythical lion prowling around out there, and I convinced myself that I could actually formulate a plan to slay it.

I would rather be dropped off god knows where in the middle of the most dry desert on Earth, being told I can save myself only if I kick a random cactus that is located somewhere within a 100 miles radius. Even if I was told that the cactus might respond by revealing the entrance to a secret city that could save my ass. EVEN IF the catch was that this amazing city might not EVEN EXIST.

I would rather attempt to catch the Loch Ness Monster using only a small Fisher Price fishing net. Even if the mother fucker did happen to exist.

My "I would rather" train of thought is soon broken up by the arrival of a massive juggernaut of a bus with "DOUBLE HAPPY" stupidly branded across it's side. I enter and almost immediately notice that there is a leak in the roof. How does this happen? Oh right, I've covered this, why would DOUBLE HAPPY check the roof for leaks? It doesn't rain, it's always happy and sunny outside in the mystical land of Double Happy Inc, remember?

I'm sure during the next stop someone will sit next to me that hasn't showered in three weeks. She will also scream something at me in Ebonics if she notices I'm indeed writing about her. And someone behind me will without a doubt bring their screaming fucking baby along for the five hour bus ride. But what do you want for $20?

It could be worse.