sometimes

the dreams most worthwhile chasing,

are the simplest ones.

sometimes,

when questions are best left unanswered,

a smile is enough.

sometimes,

in the midst of it all,

i remember the moment, clearly

Air

So long as I can breathe

you’re still the one

who wakes me.

//

Stay amazing.  I know I can count on you.

Advantage: You

Over and under.  Darker than night, a black web.  Everything fell into place, a fine grid with perfect tension.

Sunday found me again, in the city of angels.  I took the chance to get my racquets restrung at a famous shop in Glendale, to have a fresh start in intramurals this quarter.  

Finishing up the job was some lanky Asian dude, with unbelievably fast handiwork.  I gazed onwards, like eyeing a form of art.

“Mr. Lin!”

Remarkably, twenty minutes flat.  I picked up my racquets, flashed a smile, and out the double doors I went.  I had no time to lose on this marvelously easy-going day.

//

Cruising down the freeway, with the late afternoon sun radiating a glorious, golden hue.  I remembered there was a quaint little park with a tennis court somewhere along the freeway back home.  Wanting to give the new strings a spin, I exited and found the park exactly where my memory pictured it.

And, there the court was.  Chipped paint, gnarled fences, and a droopy net suggested it had seen better days.  The tennis court was occupied surprisingly by a young Asian duo, engaged in a casual rally.

Usually I would turn back and leave, choosing not to interrupt the ones already playing.  Something kept me from turning around. 

I grabbed a racquet from my car and ran towards the court.

“Hey guys!  You mind if I join for a bit?”

“Sure, but we aren’t that good..” the man replied.  The woman looked on quietly.

I cracked a huge smile.  ”Hahah it’s fine, I’m still learning myself!”

We proceeded to rally for a bit.  As I got ready to hit another backhand, I felt a sudden urge and asked them, 

“Are you two from around here?”

“Yeah, we have a place around here, but originally we’re both from Taiwan.”

I felt my intuition nudge me, and took a stab.  “Taipei?”

“Yeah, we’re both from there!”  

“Which part?  I’m from Panchiao!”

“I’m from Panchiao too!  Which part of the city?”  The woman spoke her first words since I joined them.

“I get off near Jiangzicui station -“

“Ah, that’s really close to where I live!  What a small world..!”

//

What are the chances?  A chance meeting at this random tennis court next to one of the many freeways in LA, on this particular Sunday afternoon?  

This sparked a flurry of conversation which ensued.  I found out they were both master’s students studying here in LA, the woman a nurse practitioner, and the man a film major.  Furthermore, both are avid surfers, and frequently travel to the San Diego area to catch the waves!

During this time we just kept conversing as old friends do, after many years.  I ended up giving them some pointers on hitting a slice ball, and they were ever so eager to learn.

We talked about films, school, Taiwan, surfing, and everything in between.  They inquired about a lot of the things I did, and I told them about UCSD, bioengineering, my futures, independent filming as a hobby, everything.  Strangely, it put many ideas in my head into perspective.  And, it was just smiles all around.  We all could not believe how us strangers, can have so much in common and not realize it.

I told them about the Taiwanese American Students Association at UCSD, and how great it is to have a cultural group like that on campus to really connect us all.  I am grateful for my roots, and for the newfound common ground we happened to stand upon.

//

As the sun gave way to the stars, it became increasingly difficult to discern the moving ball from the shadows.  

We exchanged contact info and parted ways.  I left, feeling a sense of happiness and gratitude, mixed with awe, and a tinge of longing.

Which led me to think.  

Remembering what everything feels like.  

The kindness of a stranger?  The warm aura of a familiar friend?

Being captivated by a sight, a sound,

a thought?  

Feeling yourself smile uncontrollably?

On the inside?

Taking a photo to capture the moment,

simply because it captures your heart?

The little moments remembered..

So many people are caught up in the cycle of daily time commitments, that they forget to live a little.  Even I..

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. - Albert Einstein 

Choose to live by the latter.  Because everything is.

Dare to dream big, to inspire and to be inspired.  And, most importantly, to love with all your heart, and to live with all your soul.

Sometimes, the simplest things are the most magnificent.

Just like little chance encounters, those little moments which take your breath away.. live in the moment, and remember how it feels to be there.  

Life can be absolutely beautiful, if you let it.

//

But I digress.  Look at the score, it’s ad:you.  It’s your serve, and you’ve got nothing to lose.  

So take your best shot.

-A [4/25/12]