"Life Is Like A Box of Chocolates..."

Forrest Gump may have been on to something there. There is a degree of hope that can be derived from that statement. It can be our downfall or our salvation. I may have experienced a bit of both in the last few days.

First -- The disillusion or "The Unpleasant Morsels". There you are looking into the gleaming box, staring at the wonderful little delicacies and gleefully anticipating that first bite. Love is something we all anticipate…the glorious first hints. The hope that we have found that special someone who loves us in spite of ourselves. Loving someone who would be there to fight the good fight with us. I thought that I knew about that. But now I have to change the channel and look at the static and ask myself: Why? Ultimately I had to face the unpleasant taste and digest that which was true for someone else. I'm not going to say that the love was never there (only he knows the answer to that for sure), but the vision of what it was...what we were...got smaller and smaller until there was nothing left.

Next – there are the morsels of indifference. The morsels that entice us but once bitten into, we may somehow feel that the taste may not be suited for us. I sit at a desk every day with that thought. Is this really where one would find that gooey goodness that comes from loving the work one does? I feel like I am now indifferent to my work. I used to love what I do. Now, I struggle with the idea that I do all that I can, while someone else receives all the accolades. There has to be something better. I think I’m going to sort through this box and try to find another piece. That gooey goodness is out there somewhere!

But then there are the pieces of life that we relish in. Friends. Family. And the simple joys that they can bring us. A perfect example of this is the weekend I spent in what has been called “The Sweetest Place on Earth”. My best friend found herself in New York on Friday. Her plan was to drive down from Pennsylvania to drop her mother off and then make the 2½ to 3-hour drive back. She called me on Friday afternoon at around 3:30 p.m. I had no idea that she was even in town:
Her: “Hey, where are you and what time do you get out of work today?”
Me: “I’ve actually just finished up here in Court. I’m heading back to the office – and in theory, my day ends at 5:30. Why…where are you?”
She then tells me that she and her boyfriend are only in town for a few hours and wanted to visit with me for a while. I instinctively and immediately ask “You’re staying right? Leaving…nahhh…you can’t be leaving. You’ve just gotten here!” I leave the office a couple of hours later truly excited. My best friend is here. It’s officially the weekend. And my plan is to convince her to hang out in New York. But after meeting up and discussing her plans, I was the one who was convinced: Go back with her to Pennsylvania and stop at Hershey Park!!! This was great! There couldn’t have been a more perfect time to get out of New York and more importantly – to get out of my head. I had been thinking wayyyy too much over the last few days. So I pack a backpack, call my buddy Deo to tag along and boldly proclaim: Let the Fun Begin!!

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we all hit the road around 8 p.m. There’s something so cool about driving through the city at night. Watching the activities of the city fade away and turn into something serene…something calm. We thumped and bumped our way through Manhattan (Teesha likes to listen to her music fairly loudly while driving. She says it keeps her awake during these long drives. Deo and I just looked at each other like: Conversation helps keep you awake too! Why not try that?) and made our way through the Holland Tunnel to New Jersey (For God’s sake, we are under water people! I’m only going to say one thing: I CAN’T SWIM!!!). Skyscrapers soon give way to silos as we soon find ourselves in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It was a little after midnight when we finally arrived at Teesha’s mother’s house in York, Pennsylvania.

I’m grateful to be away from the city. But once we all stepped into Mrs. J’s home, there is little room for chit-chat (a lot of that happened on the drive down). There’s just enough time and energy for us all to each take a shower, unpack and head off to bed: “Goodnight Teesha…Goodnight Tyrone…Goodnight Deo…Goodnight John Boy!” LOL

We wake up to a beautiful and sunny day in York, Pennsylvania and feel ready to take on anything. But before setting out for our day and while Tyrone and Deo are out having their early afternoon nicotine fix, Teesha and I were able to have some girl time. She tells me of her happiness in her newfound relationship. She feels light and ready to love again (this coming after breaking off an engagement several months earlier). I am so happy for her (and if you’re reading this Tee – I love you girl!!) We breathe and smile and say: Let’s go have some fun!!


Chocolate World

Bottled water? Check. Park tickets? Check. ROADTRIP!!! We piled our smiles and excitement into the car and get on the road. The trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania takes about 45 minutes to an hour. I am so excited. I don’t recall ever going on a cool class trip as a kid – every opportunity I had for one was pre-empted by life. So this was the opportunity to redeem myself. And redeem myself I did. The Trailblazer – the first rollercoaster that we all decided to ride on together and the first rollercoaster I’d ridden in years! It was a minute and 22 seconds of sheer white knuckle terror! I screamed and laughed all the way through it! It was so much fun! But the next one – The Great Bear – was something I decided to pass on (as my knees were still shaking from the last coaster) and I was glad that I did. The consensus: “Whew!” – Teesha
“Holy Crap!!” – Deo. Poor Tyrone just looked shaken. He was speechless! The rest of the day was filled with feats of strength (“Take the hammer and hit the bell folks! Step right up!!”), games of chance (Can you ever really win a doll with “The Claw?”), make believe (I was a 1930’s gangster! Armed and dangerous! I’ve got pictures!) and slurpees and cotton candy!

Hershey Park Ferris Wheel. Isn't it beautiful? Great shot Deo!



The ups and downs and the loopty loops of this experience took me to a place of joy and wonderment rather than to a place of disappointment and indifference. So yes, life is indeed like a box of chocolates, but the trick is to acknowledge that there will be pieces that are ill-flavored, but to rejoice in and savor the sweetest remnants! Enjoy!