Going Blue?

Ann Arbor.

I used to live here, work here. I was a married man here. I bought my first house here and renovated it. It was one of the most intellectually challenging periods of my life. Good things happened here. Bad things too.

Now, I’m back for a day. Once again meeting with ophthalmologists, talking to the University about working on medical things, about another startup company. This time though, I wouldn’t be following a wife. And this time I’d be working on something that matters more to me than what I did here before.

But do I want to repeat an earlier phase of my life? Is there too much here about the past? Is there enough in this new opportunity to spend another chunk of my life here?

I don’t have to decide now. For the moment, it’s fun to play with the idea.

August is a great time here. The fireflies are still out. Nights are so comfortable. And prosperous, downtown A2 is still a privileged island in the rough sea of Michigan. Pretty college girls and interesting international types stroll, and the cafes in the historic buildings are full.

The day is a blur. Hand shakes, meetings, technical discussions, meals and coffees with strangers. I have a nice evening out with my uncle. It’s all fine.

I retreat to my corporate hotel room and draw blind contours of my face. (Blind contours are continuous line drawings made without looking at your hand, while you study and observe the subject of the drawing. One makes an outline of the subject, without shading, detail or perspective. They’re done as an exercise to improve observation skills and to liberate the drawing hand from the eye.) I make many versions of this one drawing so that I can finish my art class obligations before bed. I have an early flight to Boston, and the class ends in San Francisco this week. A late night drive to the local A2 Fedex office ends my class. I’m pleased with the drawings, crazy as they are.

As I left for Boston, I thought of the outlines of my life here in Ann Arbor. Did I just make a blind contour sketch of my past?