Tonight was an important night for me. I finally wrote the essay I’ve been dying to write for years about the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. I’ve written essays on Iraq before, but today was the 15th anniversary of the US invasion, so I felt like now was the time to say what I wanted to say.
I posted it on my website, genxchronicle.com. We cover news, culture and lifestyle through a Generation X lens. I also put it on social media. So I did what I could do get my opinion out there.
Then I kicked back and turned out the light in the kitchen, and pulled my swivel chair in front of the window. The kitchen window has the best view of trees and the outside world of any window in my apartment, so I hang out there quite a bit.
So I sat there, and I reflected on how the Iraq War had affected Iraqis, Americans, and most importantly, me, over the past fifteen years. I had been bitterly opposed to the war, like a large portion of the country. Fifteen years later it remains a stain on George W. Bush and his administration, one that he will have to atone for in this life or the next, to paraphrase Russell Crowe as Maximus in Gladiator.
Then I called my mom. We caught up on the latest news with each other, and we talked about her adopted dog, Frida, and my adopted cat, Copper, because we’re both animal lovers. We also talked about my Iraq essay, we talked about Trump, and we talked about the impending snow storm.
My mom told me that all New York City Schools were closed on Wednesday because of the storm. I hadn’t known thus because I’ve been so wrappped up in writing for my website, and working on my memoir and my children’s books, which are about life with my adopted cat Copper.
My mom said a friend of her’s had already seen snow in Brooklyn.
So when we hung up, I looked out that big kitchen window to see if the snow had made it from Brooklyn to Queens yet.
Nope. Not yet. I was psyched, though, because I feel so divorced from nature living in New York City, and any chance to see its beauty, even if only outside my window, is something I relish.
I said “Hey Google, play In The Air Tonight, by Phil Collins,” and bang! On it came.
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord
Well I’ve been waiting for this moment, for all my life, Oh Lord
Wow. Powerful lyrics sung in a haunting voice by Phil. The first line made me think of the looming snow storm. Like, it’s coming in the air tonight. The second line made me think of the Iraq War essay that I had finally written tonight. In some ways, I had been waiting for this moment for all my life.
So then I just slowed down, and relaxed, and tried to enjoy the moment. I had written a great essay, and it was out there on the Internet for all to see. Now snow was on the way, which would be beautiful to see outside the window.
Phil Collins was singing In The Air Tonight, and he was coming in hard and crystal clear on the Google Home.
How bad could life be?
