How could I not offer this song? “By chance,” perhaps the phrase is nonsense. From another angle of view “chance” is a place holder for ignorance, the cause and effect chain that I did not take into account. There’s much that I do not take into account. Anyway, by chance I heard this one…
Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear. What does it mean that success is as dangerous as failure? Whether you go up the ladder or down it, your position is shaky. When you stand with your two feet on the ground you will always keep your balance. What does…
It is the center hole, the emptiness inside, the inner space…that holds me. These phrases from verse eleven of the Tao Te Ching in my mind serve as an anchor chain this morning. I awakened with a high blood sugar reading, which perhaps is not unusual for anyone diabetic. The condition nevertheless is unacceptable,…
I am revisiting the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tsu, a contemporary of Confucius. It is old by the standard of my short lifetime. And it is not so old in terms of our Earth, estimated at 4.5 billion years. Thus the text of the Tao Te Ching is both old and not…
Today is the day after July the 4th, Independence Day. I joined family members to view a parade spectacle. Many community groups in town published their presence by a float, a marching band, or by some unusual vehicle, (cement mixer, etc.) The parade was pure entertainment. Free candy for the children at the curb….
The 4th of July, Independence Day has arrived. Shortly I will join family members to view a parade, to participate in a traditional celebration of ourselves. “Celebrating ourselves”, as ridiculous as that sounds can be a productive, reflective, a good-will-engendering act of reverence that we are blessed with good fortune to enjoy the sunlight,…
“Well, how was it?” — you may be asking. The visit to the race track, the drag racing, what was that like? Drag racing, a competition of acceleration, the apotheosis of the individual, to determine which man and machine can cross the finish line first, over a span of asphalt a quarter mile long…
Friday and the counter at Starbucks is busy. But it is worth the wait in line to say hello to the welcoming barista behind the register who takes your order with a smile. The smile is priceless and the coffee is always hot, a perfect balance of astringent bean flavor, and just a touch…
I remember Jiffy Pop a product of my childhood. Popcorn kernels are contained in a lightweight, disposable aluminum pan, a wire handle, with a slightly twisted piece of aluminum foil serving as a cover. The pan-container is placed upon a stove burner. As the kernels begin to pop, — the attached aluminum foil cover…
A lively discussion last night, about “rules,” the many uses of rules, the origin of all rules, and considerations upon breaking rules. The discussion was wide ranging and sometimes passionate. Passion is natural, rising from a variety of motivations. Let’s be honest that fear often motivates many an impassioned soliloquy. When I suspect that…
