Sparkle Days in Ohio

It was random ordinary day with Steve, but there is an unexpected joy in living an ordinary life. You just have to have the attitude that the grass is greener where you water it, and not on the other side. Steve is the guy that made me realize why things never worked out with anyone else. When Johnny Cash was asked what heaven is like, he said “with her, having coffee.” That’s how I feel about Steve.

One lesson I learned along the way is that it is not enough to love someone, you need to love yourself when you’re with them as well. But, I digress, it was simple day of getting a bite to eat, riding on his motorcycle, and people watching during karaoke. It was what I call a sparkle day. Not many sparkle days come around what with work, cleaning, and bills, so when a sparkle day shows up, I don’t soon forget it.

The day started with Steve expressing to me that he wanted to spend the day with me and take me on his bike. He has a white Harley-Davidson that is full of chrome and handprinted pin striping. It’s a real showstopper. Steve loves his bike; he likes to wander like me. I can’t quite explain it but when you wander, your problems at home seem to work themselves out both metaphorically and physically. He calls decompressing on his bike wind therapy. Now that I’ve gotten a taste of wind therapy, I like it.

It was an unseasonably warm Wednesday in March and neither of us wanted to waste the beautiful Ohio day. I put on my black lace up boots to keep my feet safe, and my flowered leather jacket to keep me both warm and safe. Just because you’re having fun, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be responsible.

We also wanted to get a bite to eat, as well as get wind therapy in, so we drove through the Metroparks to take advantage of the scenic routes offered. The windy, forested roads are both fun to drive and beautiful to look at. We headed south away from the city in search of food. We were forestbathing on a Harley. As we approached our intended destination, we saw that it was closed for repairs.

We ended up a place called the County Line Saloon. We chatted, ate our food, which was delicious, and headed to our next stop, which was the Tavern on Broadway. Our main activity at TO, was supposed to be karaoke, but it ended up being a lesson on people watching for me. It was a lot of fun.

The DJ at karaoke ended up with a situation that is not unlike every sitcom you've ever seen. He was dating two girls at the same time, and they both showed up that night to see him. Just watching him trying to process what to do was hilarious. I don't try to laugh at another's pain, but if you're dumb enough to date two girls from the same town at the same time, you get what you deserve.

There were so many people looking to hook up that night at Karaoke, it became kind of a people watching game to see who was going to hook with whom. Who was getting shot down, and who was going home alone. I've never been much of a people watcher, but Steve is. As a former bouncer, where his job was to watch people and anticipate their next move, he knows people, but has fun with it in people watching. I laughed so much at this new found game of people watching before the night's end.

It's just nice to know that you don't have to be rich or famous to enjoy life. It's just nice to know that the best days of your life haven't happened yet. Sometimes, you just need to be reminded to find joy in the ordinary and that there are sparkle days ahead. Remember, the grass is greener where you water it, not on the other side.