I still love you I still want you I still need you Don't hang up and say goodbye
If there’s one thing that’s in abundance at the holidays it’s meaning.
To some the holidays are high holy days, made for religious reflection.
To others they’re a time of family and tradition, a moment of centering by engaging in familiar, secular ritual.
And for many, especially those who perceive disconnection with those first two, they’re fraught with emotional emptiness, a feeling that something fundamental is missing.
Like many, I’ve ping-ponged across all those and other notions of what the holidays mean.
Lately, though, I’ve been practicing stripping away meaning, and it’s little brother expectation, from outside events.
To keep it simple, it’s the notion the only meaning to anything is the meaning it’s assigned. And that assignment can only come from within.
Fear not!
That’s as metaphysical as this post is going to get.
It’s actually about spending Christmas Eve in San Francisco with my love.
I'm walking down on Market Street And feeling my heart skip a beat To see someone who looks like you I guess I'm not through dreaming of the one I love
We drove into The City via the Golden Gate and parked in our usual location on Clement Street.
The weather was clear, cool and calm. Perfect for walking and eating, both of which we enjoyed.
Clement Street on Christmas Eve felt a little quieter than on a typical weekend day. We were able to walk right to the counter in a couple of dim sum spots that normally have more of a line.
At one place they were out of a couple items I ordered and suggested substitutions. Due largely to the language barrier on my end, I was struggling to follow along with the choices so I just agreed to what the counter staff was saying to keep things moving.
As a result I walked out with much more dim sum than I’d intended to buy. It turned out to be a good thing.
We ducked down 9th Avenue and found a brick ledge to sit on across from the Richmond/Senator Milton Marks Library and enjoyed The City, the sun, the dim sum and each other’s company.
After our snack break, we took the leftovers and hopped in the car to head out to Ocean Beach and the Ocean Beach Cafe.
It’s a lovely, non-alcoholic cafe at Balboa and La Playa just a block from Ocean Beach. The owner was sitting behind the counter playing a ukulele when we strolled up.
After he gave us some suggestions we picked out some NA brews to enjoy at the cafe tables out front and some more brews and an NA wine to take with us for the holiday weekend.
As we were jumping in the car, which I’d parked on Cabrillo at La Playa, we caught a glimpse of Ocean Beach through the roundabout that connects La Playa with the Great Highway via Cabrillo.
It was an easy choice to stash the beverages with the leftover dim sum and walk down to the beach.
We enjoyed the golden glow of the low winter sun, the sound of the surf and the end of the day at the end of the continent.
Don’t ask me what it all meant. I’m grateful I made the choice not to try to figure that out.
I'm heading for that Golden Gate Hoping I won't be too late To find the one that I still love It's you I'm dreaming of
Thanks to Chris Isaak for the lyrical support:
Occidental on Purpose 
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