It was wrapped up like a trophy.

Today, the 13th day of January... I made it. On My Sleeve turns 1 today. Never thought I would make it... Not that 365 days is some Mt. Everest or something, but for me, a Benbrook Bulldog, it means everything.

In the last year, I've laughed, I've cried, I've said hello to so many and have said goodbye to so many more... The things I've said, the things I've done... The things I've written... The things I've worn... I feel like I have let you in. Just a little. And that, to me, equals a positive campaign. There is so much more to say, I think.

And it all started with a quote. It couldn't have started any other way.

Time to go away and think it all up again... Who knows?

And here we are now...

I'd like to complete my run by sharing something that I keep very close to me. It's actually the first thing that was published on my behalf for someone else for a special reason. It required my approval, of course, but at the end of the day, I'm not really sure what's out there with my signature... Oh well, this one's official. This much I know. Looking at it now, I'm proud of the place this piece took me to all those years ago. It truly explains itself.

When I scrawled it out in 1998, I was all alone in my kitchen. It was dark outside. I remember that I was wearing this overly warm cream sweater with (arguably) the ugliest army green shorts I owned at the time. No belt, just rope (yes, I was in that phase). Those shorts are long gone, but I still have the rope (came in handy in 2005). I was super comfortable in my stitched-up Adilettes that were beautifully broken and bandaged... In the background, Catherine Wheel were doing their thing with Chrome. At the hand-me-down dinner table... With a #2 pencil in my hand with a keg cup of sweet tea to my right, I went to work and crafted the following...

the clouds are the bridges...

only when you see the harbor below do you realize that you are not alone... stay one time with me and find the heart that you left behind. my tired soul, withering away in darkness. i am looking for you. the strength in my hands, my fists full of sadness. let it go and cry away those sheets of rain. let it come down. to leave the mountain and scar the land... all of the angry trees standing tall in purity. this heart, my heart... it bleeds with hope as i have one more question for you on this cloudy afternoon. will you let me swim into the abyss of your eyes and spend some time in your soul? i need you a you need me... i am looking for something... a new light on my life as i have been gray for some time... to strike the others down, bringing the wishing tree closer... to us. leave us alone... my race against time... equipped with my heart in one hand, my soul in the other... nothing to hide, frightened... my dreams for you... only you can see what the wind has given me. you love me as i love you. entering this world blank and loveless... i have always loved you. follow me into the fields... i was young, only nine... what is love, what is hate? the words of this word meant greatness and certainty. to define this love, endlessly... you, my sweet flower. you are mine as i am yours. hold on to me as we climb into the dreams of the clouds. to hold you forever, a sign of my true devotion for a lifetime with you... as another story ends, another begins... in this sleep. sweet my dearest one. may we both fare well into the night.

bsm*

twenty three november nineteen ninety eight anno domini...

I never wore that sweater again.

So... That's it.

Well......... Here we go...

From Team OMS... Small and bowed, I would like to offer you my eternal thanks for your honest attention... And my sincerest hopes for a solid year, full of beauty and grace with little darkness in your path.

Take care of yourself and be good to the ones that matter on every level... And don't forget to remember where you came from... Spend a few moments thinking about Haiti. Realize that it could happen anytime, anywhere. The reality of it all is sobering... Make every embrace last and make every "I love you" count. Love big. Cherish what's yours and don't leave those stones unturned. You just might find an answer or two. Believe me.

1/13 to 1/13. In the books.

What's next for us? You first.

So long...

Always and forever,

me (at #78)

S. H. P. L.