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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

A Horrific Anniversary and Forgettable Birthday (Redux)

11:59 PM

I have been much distracted with a good life and making movies in China of late and have had little time to post to these pages; also a new semester at Beijing Foreign Studies University begins on Monday, my fourth year here at Beiwai. I must say that all is well and I am happy--but how can I feel so at the moment? In America, along the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast to be exact, this, the 29th day of August, 2007, is a day of remembered loss, pain, suffering, and emotions that have no adequate words of expression. Katrina, a storm with a Shakespearean name that was no lady to be tamed by man or government, changed everything back where I call home.

However, due to the vagaries of international time zones, the day of my birth--August 30--and Katrina's mean fury overlapped by some 12 hours, the anniversary of both are the same day for me and always will be. I have no reason to celebrate the former, whose number is not friendly to me now, and every reason to mourn and surely hate the latter. Yet, I feel something other in both matters. New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast are recovering; slowly, to be sure, but they are recovering. And, although the years now count all too rapidly towards the eventual fate of all living things and scares me no less than any of my kind, I am younger and more joyful in mind and soul than I have been in decades.

In just about a month, I and the reason for my fulsome happiness will be in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a remarkable homecoming. And that is more than good.

Baby Joseph Allen Bosco, we are coming to meet and greet you!

11:59 PM / Editor / permalink 3 comments

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3 Comments:

Dad,
We have been trying to reach you via email to wish you a happy birthday but it keeps getting sent back. We hope you had a wonderful birthday.
Love, Joseph, Michelle and baby Joseph

By Michelle, at 5:21 AM

Son,

I didn't discover the glitch in my e-mail system until a short time ago; I was in Tianjin finishing the film "One Man's Olympics" and didn't get back to the house until about dawn this morning, and then slept quite awhile. I have just fixed the problem and have sent you an e-mail.

Thanks for the Happy Birthday wishes. I appreciate it; but I don't like the number that comes with the day any longer: )

I am so excited that we will see y'all in less than a month, September 28!

With all my love,

Dad and Grandpa

By Editor, at 6:15 PM

Son,

I forgot to say that, yes, I had a lovely birthday evening with a wonderful dinner and sublime company.

Dad

By Editor, at 6:19 PM