Build-A-Boo Workshop

"Hi, welcome to Build-A-Boo Workshop, where boos are made. My name is Katrina, how can I help you today?"

"Oh, hey, Katrina! Listen. I'm wondering if you could help me out with something. Well, I obviously need to build a boo..."

"Of course! That's why you're here, right?" *light, uncomfortable laugh*

"Mm hm, yeah. So. This is what I need. I need... well... about my height, maybe a little taller..."

"Okay, go on."

"I need him to look me right into my eyes in a moment of passion, whether its a laugh or a cry."

"Oh, we have those! What else?"

"I want him to have a little meat on his bones, you know, so when I hug him I feel like I can fall into his arms and be safe and warm."

"Oh! Gotcha!"

"I... I want every orb of his soul so connected to mine, that when he smiles, I smile too, even if I dont know what he's smiling about. When he feels heartache, I feel it too-- when he's happy, I'm overjoyed and when he sleeps I feel at rest. I want his hands to be strong and willful, like a sun-drenched ocean tide carrying me safely home. I want his arms and legs to be made for work as well as play, and can you put little electric diodes in there so whenever I touch him my fingertips tingle?"

"Yes, we most certainly can do that for you, no problem."

"Thanks, Katrina."

"Any color preference?"

"No, none at all."

"Okay. *jots that down* Would you like the default brown eye color?"

"Sure. Sign me up for that."

"Okay, okay. Great. What about his heart? Any special parameters for that?"

"He must love, with all his heart, soul, mind and body, the Lord God Almighty. I want to make sure that he puts Him first, even before me."

"Oh? Okay..."

"Now lets be clear: I want him to love me for every inch of me too-- my good traits as well as my bad, my idiosyncrasies, habits, so on and so forth. Accept me, my family, my friends, all of me for who I am, nothing more, nothing less."

"Good, good! Okay. Anything else?"

"Actually Katrina, there is."

"Go on..."

*leans in closer* "Can you make him, you know, passionate?"

"Um... *looks wide-eyed* I think we may have that available..."

"I mean, completely passionate. Please, check to see if you have available the ability to make me feel like the most beautiful woman alive, just with a glint in his eye-- or give me a look across the room that will make me weak in the knees. Can you, will you, see if its possible for him to have the capability to kiss me without his lips ever touching my skin, and even feeling his breath against the back of my hand makes the world melt away?"

"Wow... you know what you want, don't you, ma'am?"

"*chuckle* Well, Katrina. Lets just say I might have some idea already what doesn't work for me. And an even greater revelation of what does."

Yonder

Some things I take for granted. My freedom. My ability to go to college. My special heritage. My luck with that extra chicken nugget in my little cardboard box to go. But today, I had the opportunity to soak in and relish in my privilege to travel.

I got on the plane, not expecting much as usual, to get crammed next to, "Randy." Randy, the ultimate business jet-setter, pecked away at his laptop keyboard and made numerous phone calls back-to-back without ever hitting the end button. He elbowed me in the side as he was reaching for ink pens, business cards, an extra stylus, whatever. He spoke loudly but fluently as people on the other end of the phone seemed to respect whatever wish he spoke.

However, behind me was, I'll call them Barb and John. Barb fidgeted and tittered with her husband, asking this and wondering that. Once the flight took off, Barb burst into a ball of happiness as she blurted out "Oh my goodness! Isn't this exciting? This is my first time leaving Atlanta...!"

I looked out the window as the sun, barely breaking the horizon line, adorned with a rich, sultry red. The clouds, one solid mass wisping and gathering to the west, started in a rich honey yellow and spectrumed out to a deep, sultry violet. Stars sprinkled about, twinkled and glistened as they seemed to play a game of hide and seek; and the city lights in the distance flickered as if to decide if to ask "Is it dark enough, yet?"

Drinking in the beauty of the skies above, I closed my book and stared wistfully out the window. I wondered how many times have I seen this scene and not taken it in? Was I this aware when I flew to New York? Minneapolis? St. Louis? Chicago? Is there possibly a way to bottle this euphoria up and put it on a shelf for a day where I'm feeling selfish and doubtful?

I wonder if "Randy" ever saw things the way I saw them today. Granted he probably didn't because I know my big head was in the way. But I'd hope to remain wide-eyed and hopeful like "Barb" was; unawares to the hum-drum normalcy of on again/off again flight patterns, meeting requests and endless conference calls. Things such as this, make you jaded and bitter. And I'd rather go up yonder before I turn into that.