Brushes with Greatness

As I settle into my seat on my jetblue flight to Boston, via JFK, I see a familiar face heading down the aisle. I know him... but not sure where/how. So familiar... and then the guy in the row behind me nails it, “That’s Matt Gonzales!” And it is. I’m flying – literally, as I write this, but there will be lag time between writing and posting – with the Green Party Vice Presidential candidate. So odd.

I turn back to my 2.5 month stack of New Yorkers and try to make headway. I finish the August 25th issue – not much in there and move on to the Oct 6 – too much in there! And then find that after I read an article on the painter Elizabeth Peyton I’m not ready to move on to the one about Normal Mailer – someone I feel like I should know more than I do. But maybe I’ll skip it and move on to the Stolen Forests piece on tree theft in China.

And then I feel the connection with green and china and realize what I really want to do is revise my life plan. I’m not sure if I’ve written about that before. It is one of the best things to come out of my attempt at being a mortgage broker, the Duncan Life Plan. I want to share it with a friend and realized it really needed some tune-up. 2008 didn’t go quite as planned in some regards and in others, I believe having my goals articulated helped me grow and keep focused.

In fact, my clarification on family and friends helped motivate me to take the trip that I am currently on. Seeing my cousins, Aunt & Uncle, friends, Hilary & Adam is a priority to me and I am happy to live my priorities. While I’m still adjusting to life without Greg, I’m conscious of what a blessing it was to be with him for 2 years. How I was able to grow and come away with a strong picture of my values.

So, I’m reflecting on my priorities, flying across county and playing with my camera. You know, I don’t think I’m ½ a photogenic as I was at a younger age. Photos to come... I’m imitating Adam with a shot of the world from the airplane window and my work. And I chickend out - I'm not willing to post the picture of me, sorry... just not good enough.


I’ll get better – that’s why I have a life plan. Each day, each hour, I make better choices. And with it comes a deep seated happiness. Matt Gonzales lives his values, as far as I can tell. He’s putting himself out there, raising issues and working for his community. I’m not there, yet.