Being Here

The skyline is cast in a hazy, orange glow as I wrap up my day high above New York City.

I call Chris and Jen to see if I can visit. Ethan answers the phone.

“Hiiiii!”

“Hi Ethan! It’s Uncle Benjamin.”

“Ben-ba-ben!”

“Ask Mommy if I can come over. Can you save ‘come over?'”

“Come ober! Come ober!”

I call Jason as I step out of the building, bobbing and weaving through Times Square traffic. He is on stage at the Iowa State Fair about to do a live hit for KCCI-TV. One hundred Miss Iowa contestants giggle in the background.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 9 a.m.”

“Saturday, dude. Saturday. You have four more shows, then you pick me up.”

“Oh, right, right. Saturday. Gotta’ go. Steve Karlin’s about to interview us.”

Rock and roll.

The door is ajar when I get to Chris and Jen’s. I hear Ethan splashing around in the tub. Jen and I spend a minute catching up.

“It seems like you’ve been gone a month.”

Ethan comes bounding down the hall, smiling ear to ear, and jumps into my open arms.

“Ben-ba-ben!”

In one instant, I don’t care where I am.

There is only here.