One from the morning, one from the afternoon.  One “lost in space”.  One joyous.  Both brilliantly intense.

1.  My music theory class

I arrived back in Gent from Canada on Monday.  I’ll call Tuesday Day One of Jet Lag.  It withered me.  Last night I slept ten hours, the same as Monday.

Day Two of Jet Lag has been worse!  I sure didn’t expect that.  I went to The Cobbler for breakfast and asked three staff members if I should go to my late morning Music Theory class. Two said yes, one no.  I went.

Our teacher would say a two-bar rhythm of notes and our job was to transcribe them.  I’m usually bad at this.  Today it was impossible.  Contrast my spinning head with the precision of listening needed.  It was remarkably intense.  Intense bad.  The flesh and the mind were weak. 

I recognized that those moments were stunning, brilliantly lit, shouting at me to appreciate them – despite the angst.  Within the wobble, I did my best to do so.

2.  La Flèche Wallonne Féminine bicycle race

The afternoon brought a 140-kilometre cycling race on TV.  My favourite rider, Puck Pieterse, was racing.  She’s spontaneous, kind to her opponents, alive.  And I love her red hair.

The last kilometre climbs a steep street (the Mur de Huy) which has an average gradient of 9.7%.  Puck sprinted past Demi Vollering, whom many people say is the best female cyclist in the world.  And Puck won!

I yelled “Puck!” as the finish line approached.  And then I cried.  My hero won.

***

Two moments

Apparently one better than the other

But maybe not

Since both were brimming with life