HUBS POST: BIRDS, BICYCLES, and BABIES

Maya was in New York last week doing New York things. I was in California doing what I do (working 70 hours a week). Sunday was my third day off since March. So I did something I like to do that my wife doesn’t: I drove. I drove up the PCH, Neil Young on the stereo, thinking about nothing in particular. At the north end of Malibu, I pulled over and sat by the ocean for an hour. Just stared at the water and the constantly changing tints of blue and green. And I thought - or accepted - that this embryo adoption is really happening. It’s been a struggle for me to give up my genetics and biology in our quest to start a family. After all, I’m the one that’s “fine,” right (don’t mention the flat feet)? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I am not important. At least "I" am not as important as "we". We want to be a family and right now, embryo adoption is our best shot. I walked up from the water, tracked sand into the car, and drove south with Neil Young. I had found my acceptance of the situation and was ready for the next step.

The next day, a freak power outage at my office caused me to find myself at home by late afternoon. Not content to sit around - and with the beach still on my mind - I hopped on my bike and raced south along the bike trail. I saw all sorts of amazing things happening at 5pm on a Monday. Life was going on while I should have been in my office and it inspired the hell out of me. There I was, riding, watching, smiling. On my return ride - just a few miles from home - I spotted several hundred birds in a beautiful swarming, tornado-like configuration. They screeched with excitement and then dropped like stones into the ocean. I pulled over and watched. I’ve been on this planet since the late '70s and I’ve never seen this before. Apparently, the grunion were running (lots of little fish “running”), which is pretty much an overstuffed buffet for any pelican from here to Manhattan Beach. I watched, amazed at what I was looking at, when I saw a young boy running across the sand towards the feeding frenzy. A guy, maybe a little older than me, chased after him. The kid looked back and exclaimed, “This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it before!” Hearing that, I went from accepting our plan to looking forward to it, to wanting it to happen now. When it comes down to it, I want a little buddy for this big adventure. I want to see new things with them and I want to see old things in a new way. I don’t care if they have flat feet or aren't as handsome (jokes!) as their father. As long as they like bike rides, Neil Young, and the ocean, I think we’ll be just fine. I’m inspired. I don’t care where the addition to our family comes from, just as long as they end up here.