Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting two friends (and former coworkers) for lunch. We went to one of the small local towns, Tiburon where I had lived for five years. The tiny downtown has little boutiques, art galleries, a movie theater and several restaurants with decks on the water. We chose to eat at Sam's, a local landmark with a huge outdoor deck overlooking the marina. Seagulls swooping,, the breeze rings chimes in the rigging of the sailboats. Fried or barbecued oysters, seared ahi, cones of French fries and onion rings dance by enticingly as waitresses in tank tops tango between tables and guests. On weekends, people wait in line for an hour to score a coveted plastic chair and an icy margarita or cold beer. Even for the locals, you feel like you are on vacation sitting amidst tourists at Sam's.
I live in the land of plenty. Most of us do here in the USA, but especially here in Marin County. The geography is breathtaking and diverse. Palm trees and redwood forests, vineyards and sailboats, flowers blooming yearlong. I can hike mountains, sit lakeside, sail on the Bay, gather shells on the Pacific shore or enjoy international culture crossing the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco. All this glory within twenty minutes ride from my home.
So, we sat and savored the summer day, catching up on life's little details and big events. Having worked together for years, we became family by circumstance. This past year brought changes as the business closed. Michael moved from San Francisco to Sonoma and bought a sports car. BJ has gotten married and will be moving to Chicago for the next four years so her husband can be close to his young son. We are all finding ourselves in the job market at almost 60 where experience is trumped by youth supposedly with fresh ideas. It strikes us as funny as trends in fashion and interior design are 1975 revisited. Fresh idea? No, we have SO done that before. Cruising through Crate and Barrel BJ and I laughed as we saw beautiful dishes, glasses and accents on display that we had in our first apartments in the 70's. What goes around comes around again and again.
So the three of us chat about transition, changing priorities but not values, downsizing, and creating new homes for ourselves over the years. More people our age are on the move, reinventing the next career when retirement is not yet an option. Relocation is a necessary evil. I cheer everyone on, having moved around the country from NJ to Florida to New England then to California. So much to discover in other states! There is beauty everywhere and lots of energy in change. Each of us is venturing into new fields of opportunity. We drink a toast to life, making new friends, keeping in close touch with old ones, and the adventures to come.
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