These Things That I Want...

… to feel the warmth of the setting sun on my face as I close my eyes, while I breathe deeply and let the scent of the sea air invade my senses.

… to write words on these pages with my fingers flowing as freely across the keys as a mountain stream makes its way downward in in the springtime.

… to look into a woman's eyes so intently that my own well with tears of joy.

… to drive in my Jeep with the top down, a warm breeze reminding me of my freedom.

… to sit quietly on my deck sipping coffee, watching the morning fog dissipate into nothingness.

… to read a book and have the prose leap from the pages into my imagination.

… to walk beside the one I love, our hands instinctively finding each other and our fingers intertwining.

… to listen to waves gently caressing the shore, over and over again.

… to turn on some music and settle in to one end of the sofa while my friend does the same at the other end, silently.

… to open the windows and feel a breeze just cool enough sooth me to sleep.

… to awaken beside the woman who will see me for who I am and love me still.

… to hear the sound of my friends' laughter combined in a cacophony of revelry.

… to know that, despite my troubles, everything happens for a reason and that I will always be who and what I was meant to be.

… to explore, new things, new foods, and new places I'd never have dreamt I'd experience before.

… to live in a world where I can be me, at all times, without judgment or admonishment.

… to smile for no reason at all.

… to share my joy with those around me.

.. to have you read these words, and contemplate what it is you want…

… and for you to achieve it.

These are the things that I want.

J.J. Goodman: Writings, Musings and More