To whom it may interest,
I have not updated this in some time as my time has been occupied by the more mundane details of day to day life. Here, however, is an account of my past year (or thereabouts).
First and foremost, I have left Italy and am back in the US; more specifically, Georgia. While it is fantastic to be around my old friends and family, I miss those friends I made during my 2 1/2 years in Sicily and it is hard to acknowledge that I will probably never return to them or the island, and can never return to that that place and time in my life. Like Frost wrote, "way leads upon way..." And here is what I write:
As I continuously drift on the currents of life, the distractions of staying afloat make it easy to forget
about the place I was just a year ago. Occasionally, however, on lucky days, a smell, sight, sound, or
situation will fire a warning shot across my bow, splashing the vibrant orange and green memories of
that former Mediterranean life out of the Sicilian-twilight-blue waters and onto the deck. I cherish those
fleeting moments when they come. They take me back to a better and simpler time in my life, and act
as a lifeboat as I weather the squalls of my voyage.
Speaking of squalls, after 4 years of marriage, my wife and I have decided to part ways. That sucks pretty bad, yet it is probably one of the smarter decisions we have ever made. This is what I wrote when we went public with the decision:
Well, for those of you who are not already aware of the situation, Jess and myself are getting a
divorce. Writing that sentence is among the hardest things Ive ever done, thus this is not a decision that
was made on a whim and/or without the pursuit of other outcomes.
To sum things up neatly, the two of us have gotten out of step with one another over the years and
have different outlooks for our respective futures. I must stress, however, that our differences remain
between one another and are NOT between ourselves and everyone else. I will always love and respect
the woman I married and I ask that all of you do the same.
This process is far from over, has already been emotionally taxing on both of us, and naturally comes
with a sizeable amount of drama in and of itself. Therefore, I ask that all of you keep things classy and
respectful, and refrain from adding to said drama. This is not a war and sides do not need to be taken.
Although this chapter of my life was not without its troughs, it was incredibly well written; indeed one of
my favorites thus far. And while it is hard to acknowledge that it is coming to a close, I have faith that
better things lie in store for both of us.
Hold Fast,
M. A. Sparks
On the bright side, I put in an offer on a house and am waiting to hear if the bank has accepted my offer(it's a short-sale). Here is a link where you can take a virtual tour:
http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?sk=13&t=2579380
Otherwise, life is going well and I hold high hopes for the future.
-M.A. Sparks
p.s. SG is as good as ever, and it is good to see that some things never change.
I have not updated this in some time as my time has been occupied by the more mundane details of day to day life. Here, however, is an account of my past year (or thereabouts).
First and foremost, I have left Italy and am back in the US; more specifically, Georgia. While it is fantastic to be around my old friends and family, I miss those friends I made during my 2 1/2 years in Sicily and it is hard to acknowledge that I will probably never return to them or the island, and can never return to that that place and time in my life. Like Frost wrote, "way leads upon way..." And here is what I write:
As I continuously drift on the currents of life, the distractions of staying afloat make it easy to forget
about the place I was just a year ago. Occasionally, however, on lucky days, a smell, sight, sound, or
situation will fire a warning shot across my bow, splashing the vibrant orange and green memories of
that former Mediterranean life out of the Sicilian-twilight-blue waters and onto the deck. I cherish those
fleeting moments when they come. They take me back to a better and simpler time in my life, and act
as a lifeboat as I weather the squalls of my voyage.
Speaking of squalls, after 4 years of marriage, my wife and I have decided to part ways. That sucks pretty bad, yet it is probably one of the smarter decisions we have ever made. This is what I wrote when we went public with the decision:
Well, for those of you who are not already aware of the situation, Jess and myself are getting a
divorce. Writing that sentence is among the hardest things Ive ever done, thus this is not a decision that
was made on a whim and/or without the pursuit of other outcomes.
To sum things up neatly, the two of us have gotten out of step with one another over the years and
have different outlooks for our respective futures. I must stress, however, that our differences remain
between one another and are NOT between ourselves and everyone else. I will always love and respect
the woman I married and I ask that all of you do the same.
This process is far from over, has already been emotionally taxing on both of us, and naturally comes
with a sizeable amount of drama in and of itself. Therefore, I ask that all of you keep things classy and
respectful, and refrain from adding to said drama. This is not a war and sides do not need to be taken.
Although this chapter of my life was not without its troughs, it was incredibly well written; indeed one of
my favorites thus far. And while it is hard to acknowledge that it is coming to a close, I have faith that
better things lie in store for both of us.
Hold Fast,
M. A. Sparks
On the bright side, I put in an offer on a house and am waiting to hear if the bank has accepted my offer(it's a short-sale). Here is a link where you can take a virtual tour:
http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?sk=13&t=2579380
Otherwise, life is going well and I hold high hopes for the future.
-M.A. Sparks
p.s. SG is as good as ever, and it is good to see that some things never change.