As I slink through the streets, I look up and the rain greets my face. Cold and fast, it pours down my face and runs off of my jacket like a small waterfall. Its raining harder than usual, and it doesn't look like its gonna stop. Its gonna be a long walk from work tonight. I finally make it home and back into my chair in front of a fire thats burning hot. My senses seem unusually sharp tonight, as if my body is preparing for something that I don't know about yet. I close my eyes and notice the music flowing through my house. Through the hallways and doors, into every room, closet, nook, and cranny in my house. Soft and smooth, the jazz rings out, and takes me to a place that I rarely go. Back to the days of my childhood. Wandering around under the stars. The weeping willows let their long branches down, inviting me to climb them. I run down to the river and jump in. The night is warm and the moon is bright, all the kids from the town are at the river. A bonfire rages in a field next to the river and we hop out of the river to dance around it. Things are good. Life is good. No jobs. No finances. No taxes. No mortgages. No worries. Back to reality. I open my eyes and fires gone out, but the moon is still up high in the sky. I throw on my jacket and head out the door. Back to the streets. What a difference 3 hours makes. The streets and sidewalks are empty, the roads are free of cars, shops and businesses are closed. Its quiet. This is the side of my city I like best. Where I can walk down the middle of a road and not risk being hit by cars. Where I can see the reflections of the neon signs shining bright. I keep on walking and come across Geary boulevard. Its still quiet. There are a few cars here and there, and a police siren blares in the distance. I don't worry though, probably just another crackhead shot for no reason. My mood is too good to be brought down by such things. As I walk, I feel my self going back in time. The rain resembles the river, and the neon signs the bonfire. Walking through the empty streets of San Francisco at 12:55 AM, I realize that everything is as it should be. I don't miss the old days. Sure, they're long gone, but the friends that I enjoyed them with are still here. And its right then that I realize, that every day and night has been the best of my life. Its just taken me a midnight walk in the pouring rain to realize it. And so, I walk on. Reveling in my newfound wisdom. And I think to myself, even though the play may change, the actors will always have fun with it.
