Different Worlds

Different worlds. Jesus.

Those where the last words I said to myself tonight before I went to sleep last night.

We went to Boston to meet a friend who was flying in from Oklahoma. We hadn’t seen her in a year or so, and she is coming to Boston for a conference.

We stayed downtown and the Park Plaza Hotel. It’s a nice place. Well, it’s nicer than nice actually. It’s a five star hotel by many people’s standards. It is nice.

We all met at our hotel, and had cocktails in one of the bars in the place (you could live in this place without ever going outside). Afterwards, we went to Davio’s Restaurant (Boston location) where we had reservations at 6:45pm.

It was a great dining experience. Ellen had the Penne, Applewood Smoked Chicken, Sundried Tomatoes, Toasted Walnuts, with Cream Sauce. I wanted to try that but couldn’t decide whether to have that or what Kent had, which was the Sweet Potato Sage Ravioli, Marsala, Apple Braised Pork, Frizzled Leeks. So, they brought me half of each!! How’s that for service?

The plan was to go up the street to Finale for dessert, but we didn’t have room. So, we left to go back to our hotel, which was just across the street from the restaurant.

While we were on the street corner, this guy approached us. He said that he was a recovering drug addict (I believe he said he was a crack addict) but was in recovery. He needed $16 to get back to his shelter and if he didn’t make it, he would have violated his parole and it would be a three year sentence. The really weird thing is, even though Kent was standing on my left, and Ellen was standing on my right, he never acknowledged them. He talked directly to me alone. Do I attract these people?

I gave him a bit of money, not knowing if his story was a lie or not. But, I felt sorry for him. It was so bitterly cold out. He left after getting the money, and we crossed the street into our hotel. I suggested to Kent and Ellen that they have a drink together to catch up on old times. I was tired and the thought of a hot shower and bed appealed to me. They went to have their drink.

I returned to the safety of my room. I looked down on the street from my ninth floor room and was reminded that even in an upscale neighborhood such as this, that there really isn’t much safey. And while I was in the shower with all three shower heads covering my body with very warm water, I just closed my eyes and tried to lose myself to the harshness that some have in our society.

I dried off, got into bed, turned the lights off, and thought about how my world compared to that drug addict. I just said to myself, “Different worlds. Jesus.”

I closed my eyes, and went to sleep.