Sharp Curve Ahead...

Yes. Yes it's getting clearer. I am ready for a life change. A typical Friday night turns into a not so typical evening, details to follow.

I went to a movie with some friends tonight. We saw "The Aristocrats," A movie about the lore of a single joke told among the comedian circuit. It was very amusing. OK, normal so far, you with me? We leave the theatre and head to a bar for a few pitchers. What's a few pitcher's between friends? I have a sandwich as well, still normal. This group begins to part and split and head in different directions. For some reason I am not tired, so I decide to join my best bud Greg in his further escepades to meet up with his wife and some other friends at a Karaoke bar. We arrive, stay for aboput an hour. Singing was good, singing was bad, drinks were spilled, laughing was to be had. I didn't take the mic tonight, but joined in on a few, and helped some people keep time. The teleprompter in this place was not top notch. This group breaks up now too. It's 2 something am I think at this point. Not even the hint of drowsiness. On the way out I had a good laugh at a guy doing a very entertaining version of "Patience" by Guns N Roses.

Life changing moment getting closer.

Now I'm in an area of a city that is particularly like, a dead zone to me. It doesn't make sense to take a subway one stop just to wait for another train, so When in the East Village I usually walk to my transfer stop and just wait for one train. It's a warm night, hot, but pleasent, so I'm looking forward to the stroll.

Phase 1 of Life Changing Moment occurs. I feel very lonely. There are cuoples staggering about. I think to myself, "shouldn't these be the best years of my life?" And here I am alone in a New York. I wish I had someone to share this evening with.

I get on the J-train at about 3:20am, take it deep into the ghetto of Brooklyn. I get off, crab a coke through a revolving bullet-proof glass window, and notice a commotion across the street. Normally, or after my neighborhood experiences I bet you would think I would just keep on walking past. But I don't, there are about 40 people gathering in a crowd, something is up. A fight breaks out between two women. The men let it go mostly, it grows in intensity, it moves into the street and stops traffic. 15 minutes go by and it's still escelating. No cops in sight.

Phase 2 of Life Changing Moment occurs. The women takes a bat out of her car and beats the living daylights out of the other women, more jump in, people are rolling in the middle of the street, still no cops. A car next to me, that had been there at LEAST 5 minutes total, throws on some lights and hits a siren. An undercover car...that did NOTHING. They drove close to the quarrel, but still, no law enforcement stepped out of the car until everything was already over and people were breaking up.

What the hell was that all about? I wondered. Now I start thinking, maybe it's time for me to think about other people other than myself. What can I do to change the world? To help others?

Phase 3 of Life Changing Moment, I enter Peace Corps into a google search and start bookmarking like crazy. I think it's time I leave this country and go do something for someone else...for a while. Maybe build a school, or teach english somewhere, or help an endangered species proliferate. Dig irrigation or plant corn, or help sick children.

Sound crazy? Not to me it doesn't. Not tonight. I'm seriously considering this. Get myself out of the miniscule debt I have compared to others and just leave.....leave for good, to do good. Just the thought lightens my mood.

I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of research and reading tomorrow.