"A man walks into a metaphor."

I saw a rainbow yesterday. It was a good one. The entire ROY G. BIV was there for the eye to see. Since I saw the rainbow yesterday, which was also the last day of treatment number 2, it felt like walking directly into a metaphor.

Rainbows are stunning sights. Whenever I see one I get why our ancestors would have thought it was God speaking directly to them. A storm passes, and then color streaks the sky. Yes please.

The pot of gold metaphor has always been my favorite. When I was a kid I would ride my bike all over the bottom of Paris Mountain looking for the magic leprechaun. I knew it was a long shot, but I figured better safe than sorry.

I feel like my whole life I’ve been searching for these pots of gold. The one thing that would make me perfectly happy. Solve everything else. And I’ve gotten some things here and there, things that I thought, ok, here I am, now I’ve made it. But then another rainbow pops up, and this thing I have no longer seems like the thing I want. The chase begins again.

One of the people I worked with at the Capital Grille in New York City was a guy named Lamin. He was from The Gambia, a small country in West Africa. He was a Server’s Assistant, and we used to talk the entire shift. Talking with the S.A’s was the best. They were from all over the world and discussed things with depth and weight. While the American waiters were talking about how many drinks they’d had the night before, the S.A’s were talking about religion and global politics. I often felt ridiculous for wanting to be a writer, hearing about some of the struggles those guys faced. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and rainbows are there for a reason.

I used to ask Lamin, “If you could have one wish, what would it be.” Without even batting an eye he would say, “Healthy.” Every singe time I asked. Healthy, healthy, healthy. “Without that,” he said, “does the rest even matter?”

I was around 30 at the time, and thought Lamin wasn’t dreaming big enough. Sure health is great, but so is money and fame. Right? Up to that point I had barely had anything bigger than a flu. Why ask for health, when being sick wasn’t something that was going to happen to me? Couldn't see the sense of it.

What I wouldn’t give now for a clean bill of health for the next 40 years? What a rainbow that would be.

Which will come! I truly believe it. I have to believe it. But today I get to put away my galoshes for a week and a half and enjoy the pots of gold I have. My writing. My friends. My family. Jaimie.

I’ll savor each of them, and see what metaphor smacks me in the face tomorrow.