Midway through my adventure, I find myself with a new worry: that I'll neglect to
live today, wholly caught up in September--when I say goodbye to Charlotte: my form of home imprisonment for nearly seven years. Frankly, I'd rather remember this city as I've described it in my next book, Charlotte Kills. But I hope to think well of the rest of my stay.
And to help me I call on an unlikely source: the memory of Hurricane Carter.
Wrongly convicted of murder, the boxer refused parole because accepting it would be admission of guilt. Instead, he decided to act and think as a free man while he fought for his freedom in in prison. So, for as long as I stay here in Charlotte I'll live like The Seattle Kid, while keeping dream city in mind:
Yesterday and today:
--I pushed my movie envelope by crossing town to see a film that wasn't my usual fare: Locke, a brilliant one-man show with British star Tom Hardy. Felt proud of myself for seeing it before I saw Godzilla.
--I squared off with a street thug who demanded to know what I had in my bag. Good to know this Slightly Older Guy hasn't lost his stones.
--I made time before third shift to complete an author interview I'd put off for lack of time. Protect the Plan and Pay the Man.
--I made a serious effort to enjoy the night shift job I've tried to escape from for years. Stuck there till September, I might as well show the boss what he loses when I walk.
--This morning, after work, I made time for a home workout. No excuses. Pay the Man.
--Tonight, before the next shift, I take time to write this post, work on proofing my new book...and chill for an hour at Stsarbucks.
--Tomorrow morning, after work, I'll take time to enjoy sorting through more papers...coming closer to becoming the tidy little package I envisioned at the start.
Balance, balance is the key! And I now try to juggle all of these without dropping one:
Hang on tight, Seattle. The rebooted Reb MacRath is really on his way.
Action Log:
05/31: I close the month of May with three strong accomplishments: 1) I just resigned from my part-time job. 2) I reduced my hours on the full-time job. 3) I succeeded in replacing a Charlotte badge of shame: eyewear frames shattered in a bus depot racial assault years ago. Lenscrafters had told me I couldn't get a new frame because mine had been discontinued and their productions were customized to particular frames. And, like a sad sack, I gave up...stuck with a $600 pair of progressive lenses that reminded me each day of the sucker punch that laid me flat...and the kicks that followed. But on Thursday I decided to try a different tack. I packed up the lenses, returned to the store and offered them two options: give me the service I asked for...or I'd call their corporate office and the Better Business Bureau. A new frame has been ordered.
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