Texts

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(FC) Foreign Correspondent & Friend: Did you receive my email? Departed Aden.

Me: Yes. Thanks. Detour. How long will you be in Nairobi?

FC: Few days. Detours are built into my expectations 

ME: Political Climate & sundry occurrences.

FC: You could say that. Will take pleasure in the layover.

Me: Sound calm. That’s good.

FLC: Humor & breathing…die Essenz des Lebens.

(the Essence of life)

Me: What next?

FC: Return briefly to Bonn.

Me: Safe trip. Stay in touch.

FC: Barring any more detours. Did you finish the book?

Me: A draft.

FC: Good luck. No more detours?

Me: Thanks. Agree. Will share?

FC: Yes. Thanks.

Me: My best.

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LAC (Los Angeles colleague): Got your email.

Me: Good. Ambiguous situation?

LAC: What isn’t? I expect we’ll experience a detour or two or more.

Me: Detours appear to be an ingredient in life’s delicacies.

LAC: One needs to be careful in which dish to taste first. Calorie intake can bloat a person, into an unfamiliar shape.

Me: The person I see in the mirror today may not be the same person I saw in the mirror yesterday. 

LAC: Detours arrive in varied sizes & forms each day. We may not recognize them as a detour. 

Me: We become what we see and savor?

LAC: Prepare yourself for “the smile”. Networking is filled with detours, like discovering your date is AI (artificial intelligence) at the other end of the call you receive. 

Me: Thanks. I’ve experienced. Will stay in touch.