How many times had I been here before? Always waiting until the last minute to even think about an assignment, deadline looming…and, of course, this one has my destiny wrapped around it as much as any in the last year. Yet here I am, sipping from a red and white plastic mug, succumbing to the least distraction in the face of certain doom. I take another bite from the ham sandwich piled three inches high and contemplate the wavy chip that clings to the bottom slice of bread. Maybe another game will help me clear my head, I think, eyeing the cycloptic video machine that beckons like a siren from the corner. I can brainstorm it tonight and get it done just in time tomorrow, since I’m caught up with labs. I always do my best work under pressure, anyway.
Dingy red shag carpeting with a slight beer fragrance and ham over tones - this place always seemed to be the perfect hideout from reality. The movie poster on the wall announces “Showdown at Black Rock” starring Alan “Rocky” Lane – wasn’t he the voice of Mr. Ed???? I look around the site, the mingling crowd - at least I’m not alone - lotsa third floor faces here. Marty, Andrew, Alvis, Foley, - even Murphy’s here. Wow, there’s Becky with those soulful brown eyes - no Tom in sight - Gee, I wonder if …
”DAD!!! Dad! The voice of an excited eight year old pulls my drifting mind out of the ETSU Photo website and back to the laptop in front of me. “Dad, ya gotta check out this game I just downloaded on the Wii – it’s Way Cool! It’s called “Space Wars” and it’s really retro like the old games you used to play! Didja ever play it?”
You know, it seems that most things in life never truly change. They’re merely snapshots moving at various rates, some high speed, some slow, some still, just frames on a roll waiting to be discovered and crafted. Instead of 341 class assignments, now it’s clients that need photo yesterday (“can you build a set for this? By the way, there’s no money in the budget for it”). The only “Bailey” that nags me now is a slightly overweight Golden Retriever looking for a rub.
I take another sip from the old Showdown mug (yes, I DO still have it. The number is now barely readable – 53. Ironically, that’s my age now.) “Oh, maybe once or twice” I reply to my son slyly. “Dibs on the Star Trek ship, but only for a game or two. I have an early curtain call in the morning”. - CLICK -