The stars have been brilliant the past two nights. I walked out to my car from Diane’s, just as I do every night, and from the bottom of my tree ravine there in the street I looked up and saw Cygnus flying majestically in the ribbon of sky above. Cassiopeia was in full tilt and Vega was near the zenith. Fall stars… Orion will be back soon.<\/p>\n
I haven’t flown in about three months, since late June, if I recall correctly. My time has been occupied with such truly joyful tasks as building my relationship with Diane and Luke, a relationship that ought to occupy the front burner, and does. But my eyes still turn toward the skies frequently. I was surprised this chilly morning in putting on my leather jacket for the first time since April at how the emotions from that time came flooding back with the texture and scent of the leather. I remembered long cross-country flights, the end of the semester, warming days and most prominently, the hesitant first steps into my relationship with Diane. The convergence of overlapping memory and emotion overwhelmed me to such a degree–and I have such an enthusiasm for that sort of thing–that I couldn’t wear the jacket. The senses remember more than we think they do.<\/p>\n