Don't take it for Granted

I welcomed the decade driving 13 hours to Phoenix for a week-long vacation visiting friends. I left Denver the evening of January 1st and drove through the night, making it nearly to the Arizona border by sunrise on the 2nd. Here’s a little tip for anyone driving to Phoenix. If you pass through Springerville, AZ, go the damn speed limit! I’ve been caught there twice by cops running radar while driving and passing me going the opposite direction.

I spent the next 8 days driving around the valley of the sun, visiting old friends, reliving lots of old memories, exploring parts of the valley that I hadn’t explored during my 7 year tenure, and moreover, just enjoying some time away from a desk.

So what’s the point of all this? I’m finding it easy to allow the tone of this post to slip into one of a braggart and that is definitely no the way I would like it to go. The point of this post is express some gratitude and maybe to remind some people that the phrase “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” is absolutely true.

On the second or third day of my trip, my good friend Dave, who was kindly putting me up, and I visited the old restaurant that we worked at years ago, NYPD Pizza. If you have the opportunity, go there. The food is still amazing. That morning Dave found out he’d have to move to Dallas for work, so after reminiscing over some Garlic Knots and a slice of Brooklyn Family pizza, we drove around to all the old places we used to live and work. The old Blockbusters, our first apartments, the house with the pool where we threw so many parties. It was a very nostalgic day. I think that’s when it hit me strongest. We were sitting in the car in front of that house and I put on The Ataris’ album, So Long Astoria. I must have had this album on repeat the whole year I live there. As soon as it started playing the memories came rushing back. Kegs on the roof, first kisses, a band in the kitchen and limousines in the driveway on New Years. I almost had to hold back a few tears. I had such great times at that house and I knew they could never be repeated. I’m not sure I truly understood that at the time.

Throughout the week I visited more friends and received such emotional greetings, I began to feel somewhat overwhelmed. I finally climbed Camelback Mountain and got to drive a brand-spanking-new Porsche Panamera S. After stepping away for a few years then tossing myself back into my old life, I realized how much I was appreciated and what kind of an impact I really had on people. I’m not sure I ever really realized this while I was living it. I can’t think of any other words for it except that it is very validating. You really don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Don’t take those times for granted.

The week culminated with the WAKA staff conference partying like true kickballers do, tearing up the snotty Scottsdale bars. We ran into Mario Lopez and Jaleel While (Steve Urkel) the first night. What else would you expect in Scottsdale? It was truly great to see everyone I used to work and play with again and I am grateful to be continually welcomed into that family.

To sum it all up, if you are still reading this, take a good look around you and take stock of what and who it is that makes up your life. Don’t take them for granted, because once they’re gone, you may never have the chance to get them back.

To all the people who made my trip, and my life, so special, I thank you! Dave, Lacey, Berto, Shawn, Brandon, Shannon, Ian, Amy, Jose, James, Katie, Dave and Desi, Heather, Rich, Jordan, Shana, Mark, Kim, Johnny, Jimmy, David, Aaron, Matt, Kristen, Kelly, Sarah, Melissa, Suzanne, and others I am sure I am missing. Thank you so much for being my friends and reminding me that I was more than just a slice-slinger.