Christmas Eve, 2007

I was sitting in a restaurant this evening - one of the old haunts from my TV news days - when a group of thirty-something suits came in. They were not TV people, as far as I could tell. They were more likely bankers or stock brokers or something like that.

They wore charcoal gray suits, white pinpoint oxford shirts, Florsheim or Cole-Haan captoe oxfords and solid ties. They had precise cardboard hair styles. Their wives or girlfriends were with them. Their black dresses and hairstyles were essentially identical and very proper and far north side.

Nearby at the bar, a man had taken off his suit jacket to show another fellow the label. I could see from where I was it wasn't all that great a suit, but he apparently wanted his friend to see what a prestige label it was. After that, he bent down to pull off a shoe - I assume to show his friend the label on that, as well - then thought better of it and sat back down at the bar.

I used to be like that. It was partly out of necessity - I was stuck in a materialistic, corporate world where I didn't fit in, no matter how much I tried. But I was also like that partly out of desire to impress other people with my wardrobe. The reason I knew the guy's suit wasn't all that great is because I have actually studied the subject. I could easily see myself in 1987 or thereabouts pulling off my clothes to flash the labels at someone else.

But I was sitting there tonight in my denim jacket, cargo pants and black mock turtleneck, being very thankful I am no longer in that world. I recognize that many people live in that world and are entirely comfortable and happy with it. Good for them. But it was not for me.

I am blessed and grateful to have been delivered from that. Part of it is of my own doing, but most of it is because of events that were beyond my control. I was carried along by the river, and it eventually took me to a place where I can feel relaxed and at home.

I continue to be astonished at how much my life has changed. It's as if I had died and gone to heaven. Sometimes I'm depressed about things, as you can tell from many previous posts. But by and large, my life has changed for the better to a degree that I think most people don't get to experience.

Merry Christmas to all of you.