To Russia With Love

I love how today we can communicate with anyone anywhere in the world just by the click of a mouse. I let my fingers do the walking and my mouse do the talking. They both have traveled the span of the globe since the mid-90′s. What on earth would we would do if Al Gore hadn’t invented the internet? Fortunately, for us, he did and never took it away like he threatened. Smell the sarcasm. Anyways, now I can keep in touch with my Russian friend that I adore. I always thought of him as an angelic being for some reason. Some people just are.

We met in college when he was an exchange student from Moscow. It’s funny that when you meet someone they stay that age in your mind forever. He’ll always be 20 something to me. Back then, we had no other responsibilities except for school so we had lots of fun with the group of friends we hung out with. We were young, wild and free. Gosh, I miss those days. It will never be like that again, sadly. Maybe that’s what heaven. That thought makes me happy. Anyhow, We were so full of life back then until the weight of the world crushed our spirits. Adulthood and a dose of reality has a way of doing that to you. What a shame.

Life has lots of twist and turns. It also throws a lot of curve balls. I haven’t seen my friend in 15 years and our lives have taken different paths. Well, not too different. We are both domesticated now with both our houses full of kids. A few weeks ago, he sent me a message wondering what had happened to his life. This wasn’t what the one he was expecting. He loves his kids, I know, but he was unsatisfied with his career choice. He said he wished he was “raising hell like that old guy from Twisted Sister.” Of course, this cracked me up. His messages always do like when he said his wife wanted another baby and would go to a sperm donor if she had to. Back to Twister Sister. I bet Dee Snider would be happy to know he influenced a young life. He definitely knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to rock and he’s still rockin’. He’s way older than us so why shouldn’t we still be rockin’ too? Maybe that’s only afforded to a privileged few like Mick Jagger and The Monkees. My friend said he had given up music and that he only takes pleasure in his children now. I was disappointed to hear that, especially since it was so important to him. I was quick to tell him that his kids will be grown and out of the house so he should still have his music.I love my kids dearly but the artwork keeps me sane like the music will keep him sane.

I have sacrificed a lot for my kids. It comes with the territory but something must be saved for myself. Someone told me that when I was a new mother and it always stuck with me. There is such a thing as giving too much, trust me. I was an artist before my kids and I will be an artist for the rest of my life. That, I refuse to change for them or anyone else. No apologies. No regrets.