October 7, 2026
Comfort Island
Dear Clint,
Yesterday I drove from the city to Saratoga to have dinner with my friends Julian, Matt and Chris. Matt has a new boyfriend and we spent much of the dinner talking about “Joe.” One thing that Matt said almost in passing was that they laugh all the time together. Finding joy in another person and in the world is all we can hope for.
My very close friend Gary called me up and told me he’s focusing on having less stress in his work after hearing stories of multiple people in the last week who at our age have had serious medical issues. “Life is short. We need to be happy,” I said to him.
At 72 miles per hour the fall colors blurred on the side of the road creating a beautiful, yellow, orange and red impressionist image. I was playing songs on Apple radio from the late 70s…ELO, Boston, Supertramp..songs I grew up with. Apple has a pretty cool feature; they display the lyrics of the song as it’s playing. Every once in a while, I’d glance down, shocked by lyrics I obviously never really heard or understood. For over 50 years. It sent me spinning into a little self-reflection: What else am I not paying attention to?
Years ago, a mentor of mine said something to me that has stuck: “God resides in the details.”
Comfort Island demands attention to detail. I’ve found myself scrubbing baseboards, using toothbrushes on grout, polishing silver, touching up paint. It’s a full-time job. There are so many homes up here that, from a distance, look beautiful, until you get closer and see the rot and the decay and the flaking paint. They are like grand Impressionist paintings. Some may like the patina. It makes me anxious. And I know that any small issue can soon blow up into a major problem in an area that has a long, brutal winter with fierce winds, heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures.
Coming back over the River last night at midnight with the temperature dipping into the upper 30s, I knew that we had to finish up whatever projects remained and begin wrapping the house up for winter. The house was waiting all lit up at night. Even with all of its demands, it brings me joy. I’m lucky to have found it.
Can’t wait to see you in a few weeks in New Orleans.
Stephen