Stephen Mejias

I'm sitting in the hotel lobby, at a small brown table, with Wes Phillips. Our laptops are caught in a long embrace, staring at one another, making a sort of _/ \_

Wes came down just moments ago, and informed me, "You're not packed, Stephen."

I glanced at all the heavy bags gathered round my feet, and said, "I'm not?"

"Nope. Your shirts and ties are still hanging on the rack."

I nod my head and smile: "Thanks Wes."

This, it seems to me, tells a bit of the story of my time here in Vegas, covering CES.

I've missed a lot of things, and thank goodness I've had friends covering my back.

I hate to say this, but it's true: I'm not satisfied with what I've accomplished here this year. This is not a feeling I'm friendly with; I usually feel very happy with my efforts and achievements, no matter the circumstances. I would have liked to have done better and more.

Then again, it's funny — and I realize that this doesn't make complete sense — but here it is: While on paper (or computer screen) I accomplished more at last year's CES, I feel that I learned more this year.

What does this mean? I'm not exactly sure, but it came to me while I was in the shower, and I've found that I can usually trust those shower-brought epiphanies, so I'm going with it.

Basically, I learned a lot about how much I don't know. And, that's alright. I've got some time. I've got some room for growth.

CES was a whirlwind. Heat and flash, song and dance.
CES was a low-flying jet plane, shattering silence.
CES was palm tree, dressed in white lights.
CES was a thick chocolate shake, with chocolate shavings on top.
CES was a plate of jagershnitzel that I could hardly finish.
CES was a flu,
CES was a green skirt,
CES was a business card,
a Vitamin C, a cup of tea,
a headache, a heartache,
a lesson in the Grateful Dead,
a missed party, a failed appointment, a lost key,
eight hundred e-mails, three hundred phone calls, fifty-seven text messages and, a picture of John Atkinson standing beside our January cover, asking (or declaring): "The World's Best?"

CES was an unsolveable math problem solved.

Alright. I think that's enough. I've got a plane to catch, a magazine to read, some thoughts to think, some time to make love with.

Jon Iverson says I'm a hippie. With sentences like the last, I'm beginning to see what he means.

Before I check out, I better go get my stupid shirts and ties.

Thanks, again, Wes.