It's 2007?!?
It’s hard for me to believe sometimes when I look at the calendar that it’s 2007 already, and well into it in fact. I don’t mean that I write ‘2006’ on checks and all, just that it’s weird that we’re well into this next decade/century/millennium. You have these ideas back as a youngster of what the future will be like; not just hovercrafts and wrist phones but also what you thought you’d be doing in life and with whom. I won’t compare life now to my images back in high school (or earlier), because how realistic were those? Hell, I thought then that I’d be an engineer, building who knows what and living who knows where, but most likely not in Vermont.
But if I go back say ten years ago, I was just now getting out of college. I think it was ten years ago this week or so that I accepted my first job out of school, working at Tougas Farm in Northboro, MA. It was a great job, perfectly suited to my college studies and interests, unlike so many gigs that my cohorts were taking at the time. So I took it and went. At the same time I said goodbye to many of my friends whom I haven’t since kept in touch with. I’m not really good at that. No, I decided I needed to head out on my own at this juncture of life, for better or worse, and away I went. I was happy to be working in such a position, but had no clue where my personal life was heading. Did I think I’d be here in ten years? Maybe, because I never truly left Vermont behind, and I was always envious of the job my current predecessor (and then supervisor) Jon Clements had at the University. Funny thing is that Jon’s down in central Mass now and I’m back here at UVM.But Vermont called me back and I was dubbing around back here by 1998, running a small orchard and traveling too much on I-89, a theme I seem to have carried along to this day. Life threw some curve balls, I ended up at UVM, and I met Julie. Actually I already knew her, but we got together anyway. By now we’re about to turn over to the new millennium. I guess life was taking a pretty good turn by now as I settled down and quit my bartending gig.
But here it is, 2007. The next decade is nearly upon us. Yeah, Julie and I settled down and had our little baby Alice, after moving to the sticks north of Montpelier (there’s the I-89 driving thing again). I kind of wonder where all the time has gone by. And what would have happened if I took other turns, like staying in Mass at the big orchard, or taking that job at Poverty Lane Orchards back in 98. Probably wouldn’t have fell in with Julie I suppose, so I’m glad I did take this path. Don’t matter, life is how we’ve lived it. I love my life and am glad it has worked out as it has.
Part of my thinking with this has been spurred on by an invitation I got recently to my old high school pal Brett Busconi’s debaucherous bachelor party in New Orleans next month. Time, work, and family constraints keep me from going, but I really wonder if I would go if I could. I don’t have the constitution for parties of a few hours anymore, not to mention a few days. Sure, it would be nice to touch base with some of my old crowd (Johnny Earle, Bryan Lund, even Brett’s bro Troy), but it sounds like they may not make it either. And if they did, would we still be the same as back in the day (and we’re going back to high school here). I hope not. When I’m out pruning the orchard, I’m generally alone with no distractions. I can’t really prune with headphones on since the wire gets caught in branches and loppers, so I’m stuck with whatever music sticks in my head. Lately for some reason (maybe it’s the ‘lite rock’ station our equipment guy plays in the shop) Bryan Adam’s “Summer of ‘69” has been bouncing around in there. Now cheesy as it is, I have to admit that it’s a great pop song that will likely last for ages. Everyone can relate to it, having had their own summer of freedom. I guess mine would have been to summer of ’92, and while it was a great summer, there’s no way it was “the best days of my life…”
So here it is, well into 2007. Having Alice around makes me realize that I really am still young. Hell, I have another 17 years of watching her grow into adulthood. I’m only 32. And while that seemed ancient to me way back when as I looked into the future, I realize now I was really just a baby then. In 2017, on the other hand, I truly will be getting old.
TB
