the fish bowl

As I type, I see that my little digital clock to the bottom right-hand side of my computer is telling me that the current time is 12:35 a.m.  Holy crap, I am still up.  For those of you that know me as "Old Man," this will seem quite the accomplishment for me.  For everyone else, yeah, not that amazing...
     Anyways, as I am still up and trying to finish watching It's Kind of a Funny Story--if only the stream would stop freezing--I find myself wondering how close the average person comes to being institutionalized in this society.  I can't help but remember Stephen King's essay "Why We Crave Horror Movies" and how he talks about how everyone is crazy to some extent; some of us pick our noses on the bus while others chop up people and hide them in the closet.  But are there some people who are just one bad day away from padded walls and eating every meal with a spoon and strict supervision?  Could any of us be that close on a daily basis?  Personally, I don't think I am, but isn't that what every mentally unstable person would think?  Who knows?  All I am concerned about right now is tight-roping that line of sanity and enjoying the rush as I teeter back and forth between the camps.
     I really can't say how close I am to one or the other at this point.  All I know is that the simple pleasures in life have never been better for me.  I know I started my list of simple pleasures about a week or so ago, but now I feel that it may not be that good of an idea, trying to pinpoint such things and expand beyond what they may be capable of holding.  Instead, I will treat them as they are: fleeting moments to be savored for as long as they are around.  These moments are practically my safety line to the sane world (or what a majority of people consider to be so anyways).   The moments when I get to read in my hammock and smoke my pipe on a beautiful, sunny day.  Days when I don't wear my watch at all because I have nowhere to be and time is no restraint on me.  Spending hours in a used book store, getting lost among the millions of pages.  Jumping on the trampoline with my sisters and getting ice cream with the family.  There are fantastic events in everyday, no matter how small, which help ensure my sanity and that I have an appreciation for life in general.  The real problem isn't so much about having enough moments; rather, it is about recognizing those moments and being able to make the most of them as they come.  

12:57 a.m.

     Today is my first official day of Spring Break 2011.  I can honestly say that I do not have any extraordinary plans whatsoever.  In fact, all I have done so far is get a new license from the DMV.  At the other end of the spectrum, I also have my biggest plans today, too.  SIRG bout tonight.  Aside from watch girls with innuendo- and violence-based names hit each other while skating in an oval, my break is going to be pretty mellow.
     Still, I think that is probably for the best.  Life between classes is rushed and hectic in so many ways.  Being able to sit back and watch random movies or NCAA tournament games with my family is just what I need.  Whether I am camping in the living room with Savannah or going to get McFlurries with Amber, I am enjoying ever bit of life as it comes this week.  Pillow forts, literary theory in a hammock, and maybe a little pipe smoking will be glorious this week.  
     It has been really odd being away from home and my family these last 2 months.  Growing up isn't all that glorious after all.  Looking ahead, it is rather sobering to think of getting a job and staying in Jackson practically all year now.  Such is growing up and taking on more responsibility.  This gives me all the more reason to enjoy my time with my sisters, spoil them, and do everything in my power to protect them as well.  
    Time to play with Ninja Turtles and watch The Rocker.