Addiction is an annoying thing. I made the walk, coffee in hand, to the designated smoking area of my hotel in order to have my morning cigarette and write. If you haven’t guessed, the cigarette (not the coffee or writing or even walk) is my addiction. Well, okay, perhaps the coffee as well but you can have that anywhere. Granted the little area is somewhat a decent one – an actual patio, comfy chairs, an umbrella to keep off the sun (which is not fully up yet). Most places hide the evil smokers in a corner with no seating or comforts at all. Non-smokers must forever shame the smokers even though many of those shamers feel no shame themselves in drinking until they are stupid drunk and far more of a danger to society than me and my second hand smoke.
I digress. This whole morning routine of mine would have been almost perfect if I was allowed to smoke on my hotel patio, which is right on the Intracoastal and offers a view of the sunrise. But then I did not wake up in time to see the sunrise. And the patio chairs are those white plastic straight back things that are not as comfy as the smoking area chairs. So, there is that consolation anyway. That is why the morning was “almost” perfect.
So, I will have my second morning cigarette and head back to my room, perhaps choose a lounge chair by the pool rather than the uncomfortable patio chair and watch the sun climb over Jupiter. I have two more nights here. Hopefully one of those mornings I’ll see the sun rise. Even better would be to waken early enough to drive over to the beach and watch it from there.
The bed here is so incredibly comfortable that I could sleep and sleep. Of course, the exhaustion that has been life these last weeks most likely has something to do with that as well. I came here, I came home, for some peace. It is astonishing to me that I chose here for peace. It is a place I never dreamed I would return to, certainly not for something like peace. But it is familiar, like wrapping oneself up in a favorite blanket.
Okay, I have moved to a lounge chair by the pool and noted from the position of the sun that I can indeed view the sunrise if I can wake early enough. Will try tomorrow morning. There is a man fishing from the pier. I notice an occasional puff of smoke, so I surmise that he too prefers the water view for his morning cigarette. My other addiction – coffee – I prepared for. There will be no trekking to the lobby and mingling with people for a cup of subpar coffee. I had the foresight to bring my Keurig with me, so I enjoyed a stellar cup of coffee first thing from the blessed quiet and comfort of my hotel room.
The breeze is rustling through the palm fronds. I try to focus on that sound rather than the sound of many hotel air conditioners running and the sound of saws and hammers and construction workers which are off to the south doing what they do. It is South Florida after all. You are never not in earshot of some sort of construction. One of the many reasons that I left this place.
For today, I will Be Here Now. It is enough. It is close enough to a perfect morning.
Other Rivers 
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