Midweek, the sun shines, the usual frigid winter cold has moderated.  A good day for a long walk, and lunch with a friend.

What to write about as several things present themselves to mind today.  First is the wonder of learning, no matter our circumstances, there are elements at hand to admire, recognize as beautiful, iconic of meaning.  To live is to learn.  Learning is the key that unlocks the way forward, what ought I to do here and now with this life I have been given.  Also, others are important contributors and companions to my formal or informal course of study, to the tasks before us…

While viewing the ABC evening broadcast of the news last night, mention was made of the fighting around Bakhmut, Ukraine.  A short video clip was shown of a Ukrainian army gun-crew loading an artillery howitzer.  The breech of the big gun opened as the spent cartridge was ejected.  In the moments before the next round was inserted, the open breech glowed cherry red.

Everything is in flux claimed Heraclitus.  Sometimes life presents opportunity to learn more, to discover facets of art, or of wine making, or of the physics/hand eye coordination of flying a plane in order to earn one’s pilot license.  And there are times when serving an artillery piece glowing red hot in order to save one’s country from being overrun, is what life demands.

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I suggest this tune as a life-line to secure us in our journey today.  Tom Sawyer was released by the Canadian rock band, Rush in 1981.  Drummer and lyricist Neil Peart said:

Tom Sawyer was a collaboration between myself and Pye Dubois, an excellent lyricist who wrote the lyrics for Max Webster. His original lyrics were kind of a portrait of a modern day rebel, a free-spirited individualist striding through the world wide-eyed and purposeful. I added the themes of reconciling the boy and man in myself, and the difference between what people are and what others perceive them to be—namely me, I guess.  – wikipedia

Time is a river, and we must ride out the day’s events.  Mist, myth, mystery and drift…  We are by no means separate, at a remove from society, severed from those who live and events in Turkey, Ukraine, Japan and Europe.

Tom Sawyer

By Rush

A modern day warrior
Mean, mean stride
Today’s Tom Sawyer
Mean, mean pride

Though his mind is not for rent
Don’t put him down as arrogant
His reserve, a quiet defense
Riding out the day’s events
The river

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide

Today’s Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you

No his mind is not for rent
To any god or government
Always hopeful, yet discontent
He knows changes aren’t permanent
But change is

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the witness, catch the wit
Catch the spirit, catch the spit

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide

Exit the warrior
Today’s Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the energy you trade
He gets right on to the friction of the day

Lyrics by Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, Alex Lifeson, Pye Dubois