05-05-05

Fruitvale District celebrated Cinco de Mayo on Uno de Mayo. Since our system of datekeeping is arbitrarily set to start somewhere around the birth of Christ, it's nice that we can move our celebrations to a convenient day to enable more people to join in.

What if we'd insisted on closing things down and celebrating today? Would that have made it more special? Or would it have had an isolating effect? Sustainability involves creating enough connections so that the entire tapestry is robust, and isolation doesn't occur.

My good friends Gray and Sue Gatlin have their wedding anniversary today. No, it's not their Fifth, but I did wish them continued joy. "We're taking one son and going off to the Colorado River, and spending a couple of days with my brother and his wife," Gray tells me. Gray is someone who knows who to sustain relationships. He also told me I was the only person so far to remember their anniversay. That's amazing-- I think of myself as the person who struggles to remember his own birthday. Perhaps I'm better at strengthening connections than I give myself credit for.