Perspective

A year ago I had just moved back to California from the frigid cold of the East Coast. A year ago I was picking sweet tangy oranges from my good friend Tim's tree. A year ago I had no job and felt I had lost my career.

Now I commute an hour each way to a job that's just a job. Someone else is living in my good friend Tim' s house and I don't even know if the oranges are ripe.

A year ago I had just moved into a shared housing arrangement in San Jose, and was thinking of painting my bedroom a different color. Today, I am thinking about moving out and getting my own place, so I don't have to deal with the cat hair on the stairs and the dirty dishes on the kitchen counter.

A year ago, I wanted to live in California as long as I possibly could. Today, I am missing spending time with my 85 year old dad and wondering how much longer he will be with us in good health. Today I am thinking that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to live back East for a while.

What a difference a year can make. And who knows how I will feel about things a year from now.