you have to work to find the good stuff. whether it's cheese or music, the best never lies around in wait. it hides in corners of libraries, behind the flour in the cabinet, in the way back of your mind. It's always been this way, as much as we look to the past as having all the things we loved. only some stores had the rare Transformers, only some beaches had warm water washing on them. I don't know if most people don't care about this or if they are just too tired to look anymore. it takes work. and it's easy to call the seekers haughty, because they know what they're looking for, because they're not willing to accept imitation. and of course, we can't be so picky about everything. we have to realize that onions pretty much taste the same no matter where you buy them, and it's just not worth the cost to dig them out of the ground yourself. and yet, we also have to know how to find, when we need it, the good stuff. We have to take the time to read the unabridged version, watch the director's cut, find the elusive deep orange paint. and sometimes it's worthwhile to wait for the right person, to tell all your stories, to show him your favorite haunts, the view from Grand Basin or from the Mississippi St bridge.

Life is pain, we all know that. but if you pay attention, you'll find more good stuff than you expected.