the inevitability of dobie

So my ex called me on Monday that she'd had to put my old cat, Dobie Gray, to sleep. Sad. I loved that cat.

I had named her Dobie, in honor of Dobie Gray, who sang that magnificent 70s hit "Drift Away." ("Gimme the beat boys and free my soul, I wanna get lost in your rock and roll, and drift away..."). GREAT freaking song. The kitty had short gray hair all over, and she used to sit on my trap case and watch me bang on the drums... so I thought, something musical and gray... voila.

It was one of those calls you know you are going to get one day, but don't quite know when it will arrive. It's a weird feeling; to know that an event is inevitable. Some of these inevitabilities you are comfortable with, cause you've sort of seen them on the horizon (e.g. getting fired from a job you don't like and that maybe you weren't giving your all), but others you don't really have control over and so one day they just pop up. and they plain suck (e.g. wife saying she wants a divorce -- though some would argue that you should see that one coming!).

After nearly 2 years of living as an "expat", far away from my family, and seeing my parents health slowly deteriorate - fortunately at a rather slow rate! - i begin to wonder when i will receive a call that i NEED to go home for. e.g. to help them, or to care for them after an accident, or god forbid to mourn them.

it's a horrible thought - i can barely imagine the/my world without Bonnie and Ed. but damn it, the day will come when i'll get that call. so i do what i can in the meantime, to enjoy them, to shower them with love, and to soak up as much of their joy and caring as an only son possibly can.

here is a nice photo of mom and dad, on our way out the door to rosh hashanah services, to usher in the year 5767, at temple beth shalom in framingham, ma, usa.