grounded

We went to see the movie "Up in the Air" today. The movie stars George Clooney as a guy who flies from city to city, contracted by companies to terminate their employees. He grows from someone who is happily unattached, unencumbered, and unemotional into someone who longs for connection. It was a funny, touching, sometimes discouraging commentary on how we choose to relate to others in our increasingly impersonal society.

I was surprised at the feelings that the movie stirred in me and at the different ways that Mitchell and I reacted to the movie. As we walked through the cold, he said, "That was a depressing movie."

"Depressing if you're him, I guess," I said, referring to Clooney's character. "I think it's supposed to make you feel glad that you're not him."

And that's how I feel. I'm grateful for the deep and meaningful friendships that I have. I have everything that I want and need in my home. I have a job that I love, and I stay busy volunteering for organizations and projects that I am passionate about. I am proud of the life that I've built and of the person that I have become. I have a loving family of four-legged children and a partner who makes me laugh, supports my ideas, helps me feel safe, and loves me just the way I am. I feel lucky to have lived in many places, experiencing this country from different perspectives and building relationships along the way. I don't know where the future will take me, but for now I like where I am. I am content.