Breakfast in the Castro - Time

Mibes: Good morning!

_{Me: Good morning! (We hug for a moment.)}

_{Mibes: How’s life?}

_{Me: I’m a bit sleepy, a bit groggy, but OK, thanks and you?}

_{Mibes: I’m OK. Thanks. Glad to be here. In just a couple of weeks our time together here has become one of the best parts of my day.}

_{Me: Yes, same here. It’s always good to see you. We’ve been on the planet together, but haven’t seen each other much, until now.}

_{Mibes: Now, this moment. Time always passing. Reminds me of that old John Denver song: What a friend we have in time, gives us children, makes us wine. Tells us what to take or leave behind.}

_{Me: I haven’t thought about that for a long time. It kind of goes along with this Chinese proverb though: An inch of time on the sundial is worth more than a foot of jade.}

_{Mibes: I wish I had more time this morning, but I’ve got to head out for a meeting.}

_{Me: Good to see you. Good to be with you. Make the most of your moments.}

_{Mibes: You too. (We embrace and then head our separate ways.)}

Breakfast in the Castro - Small Changes

_{Mibes: Good morning! (hugs me)}

_{Me: Good morning. Thanks for your hug this morning and for all your hugs for that matter.}

_{Mibes: Thanks for hugging me back. As you well know some hugs are pretty one sided. But not yours.}

_{Me: Aw thanks. When you get a great hug it’s easy to give one.}

_{Mibes: So how are you on this fine Tuesday morning in December?}

_{Me: Better than I expected to be. Thanks, and you?}

_{Mibes: Healthy and strong and happy to be here, thanks, and curious.}

_{Me: Curious?}

_{Mibes: About what you just said about being better than you expected to be.}

_{Me: I’m feeling a little more energy, a little more organized, a bit more optimistic. Just little things.}

_{Mibes: Wow, whatever you’ve got it must be contagious, because I’m feeling some of that optimism and energy right now.}

_{Me: Glad to hear it. I’ve always liked the idea that great good can come from small things.}

_{Mibes: Days and decades are built with moments and minutes.}

_{Me: You’re mocking me now, aren’t you?}

_{Mibes: Not at all. I love you. I love the way your mind works. And especially the part about being a bit more organized.}

_{Me: Thanks, Mibes. I love you, too. But what do you mean “the part about being a bit more organized,”}

_{Mibes: Just seems to me that if you’re wanting to build anything, big or small, you’re doing it with smaller bits and pieces. So if you have those pieces better organized, and your mind clearer about what you want, you’ll have an easier go of it.}

_{Me: I agree.}

_{Mibes: It's yet another thing we agree upon.} 

_{Me: (Hugging Mibes) And we also agree on the value of hugs.}

_{Mibes: Yes we do.}

Breakfast in the Castro - Sleep

_{Me: Good Monday morning, Mibes! It’s not like you to be late.}

_{Mibes: (gives me a hug) Good morning! I’m sorry, lost track of the time.}

_{Me: No worries. I knew you wouldn’t be long.}

_{Mibes: Thanks for your patience. Glad you're here. How’d you sleep?}

_{Me: Pretty well. I was tired last night and got to bed early for me. I bet I was asleep by 10:30. And you?}

_{Mibes: I’ve also been trying to get more sleep by going to bed earlier. Have you seen the news about sleep deprivation in the United States?}

_{Me: Yes, that we’re a whole nation in need of better sleep. And that sometimes people who are drunk can outperform someone who hasn’t had enough sleep.}

_{Mibes: What I read said you should say away from phones and TV before bed because the blue light from the screens is read by your brain as sunlight.}

_{Me: I should experiment with that. Try to compare my regular routine which usually includes some screen time with no electronics before bed. Or maybe only music.}

_{Mibes: I hope the week goes well for you. All the days and all the nights.}

_{Me: I wish the same for you Mibes. Hope you’re successful in retiring to be early so you’re not weary and arising early so your body and mind may be invigorated.}

_{Mibes: D&C 88:124 I take it?}

_{Me: Yeah, I was reading it before you showed up.}

_{Mibes: And I was late because I was reading Chinese proverbs this morning before I left the house and I lost track of the time for a few minutes.}

_{Me: Find anything good?}

_{Mibes: I liked this one: “One family builds a wall, two families enjoy it.”}

_{Me: I guess it could also be that one family tears down a wall and two families enjoy it. Depending of course on the wall and the families.}

_{Me: Sounds like you’ve had some personal experience with that.}

_{Mibes: Just observation.}

_{Me: Love you Mibes! (giving him a hug)}

_{Mibes: Love you more.}

Breakfast in the Castro - Infamy

_{Mibes: Hey before you say a single word, I want a hug.}

_{Me: (giving the hug, speaking no words)}

_{Mibes: Good morning! That’s a great start to my morning. How are you?}

_{Me: Better than I was one minute ago, thanks, and you?}

_{Mibes: Happy to be alive and to be with you on a Sunday morning in December. On a famous day. Or perhaps I should say infamous.}

_{Me: December 7, 1941. My mom said she remembered President Roosevelt on the radio the day after.}

_{Mibes: (pulling out his phone) Amazing. I was looking at Roosevelt’s comments before you arrived.}

_{Me: Is that why you brought it up? We don’t usually talk about history. Or current events for that matter.}

_{Mibes: Here’s what caught my eye: “We will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.”}

_{Me: Wow. I didn’t realize that he used the words “never again” reaching forward into the future.}

_{Mibes: And that two word sentence: Hostilities exist.}

_{Me: That does reach into current events. Our racial divide.}

_{Mibes: And to life itself. We fight against dehydration, starvation, too much exposure in terms of winter or too much isolation, sometimes in terms of even our interactions with ourselves.}

_{Me: Alienation isn’t just about groups.}

_{Mibes: (silence with intense eye contact)}

_{Me: Thank you for caring, Mibes. Thank you for being here.}

_{Mibes: You’re welcome my friend, but remember I get just as much you do from our friendship. Maybe more.}

_{Me: I don’t believe it. But I’m glad you do.}

_{Mibes: Enjoy your Sabbath. (giving me a hug)}

_{Me: Love you, Mibes.}

_{Mibes: Love you more.}

Breakfast in the Castro - Doubt and Understanding

Mibes: Great to see you on a Saturday. What brings you here?
Me: I’ve agreed to meet a friend. And you?
Mibes: The same. But you know if he doesn’t show, I’d be happy to talk with you.
Me: (hugging Mibes) You think you’re so funny.
Mibes: I’m just trying to help you graduate from a smile to laughter.
Me: (forcing some laughter) hahahaha! How’s that.
Mibes: You could do better, but it’s a start.
Me: I have read somewhere that your body can’t really tell fake laughter from the real thing. It’s still good for you.
Mibes: But the real thing is better for the brain, the person, the soul.

Me: No doubt.

Mibes: Speaking of doubt, I found a great saying on doubt and understanding.

Me: Yet another Chinese proverb?

Mibes: How did you guess.

Me: (waiting for Mibes to find it on his phone)

Mibes: With great doubts comes great  understanding, with small doubts little understanding.

Me: I like that.

Mibes: I thought you would. I think you’ll also like this. (hugs me)

Me: Love you Mibes.

Mibes: I love you. Doubts and all.