Month: July 2019

July 31 – New transformations

New transformations
confront a common focus
creative freedom

Will not the good people respond to a united, and earnest appeal from us?

Can we, can they, by any other means, so certainly, or so speedily, assure these vital objects?

We can succeed only by concert.

It is not “can any of us imagine better?” but, “can we all do better?”

The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present.

The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise — with the occasion.

As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.

We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.

Abraham Lincoln
Annual Message to Congress —
Concluding Remarks
Washington, D.C.
December 1, 1862

July 30 – New day, each day comes

New day, each day comes
chance perfectly marvelous
hopeful, possible

I could start my day taking a yellow pad and drawing line down the center.

At the top of the left side of the pad, I could write BAD.

At the top of the right hand side, I could write GOOD.

I could fill the left hand side as fast as I could write, with my handwriting getting worse and worse as I try to keep with the all the thoughts pouring, like black and red flaming lava, out of my mind.

Then I could stop.

Take a sip of coffee.

Take two sips of coffee.

I could look at the right hand side of the pad.

I would see that, that side of the pad was blank.

See nothing good.

Or.

Nothing but possibities.

Perfectly marvelous.

July 28 – Slow Sunday Mornings

Slow Sunday Mornings
Wake up late, wait for coffee
privileged lifestyle


It’s the simple things, right?

Quiet Sunday Morning and I can sleep in late and read while the coffee percolates in the cool of the living room.

A piece of toast with blueberry jam from up north.

Then off to Church.

Perfect way to start the week.

What could be more simple.

Starting the preaching a little early, I hope I never lose the insight that this simple start is so very, very privileged.

Home, shelter, food, leisure, job to experience leisure, love of family, friends and wife, loving and benevolent God and gracious Savior.

“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” says Luke (12:48 KJV)

Been given so much.

Better not forget.

It’s simple.

July 27 – old shoes like old friends

old shoes like old friends,
comfortable, as old shoes
new shoes, someday old

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If there were things more comfortable than an old pair of shoes, the saying, “As comfortable as an old pair of shoes”, would not have lasted in the list of english language idioms.

Three pairs of low cut, white (at one point in their lives), leather Nike sneakers.

The first pair is at 30 years old with a white swoosh.

I sent a clerk (who was a Wiedeman if I remember) back into the storeroom at MC Sports to find ‘that old fashioned smooth leather look.

The second pair, with the black swoosh stripes, I think are about 10 years old and were a birthday present from my wife, I think the first year we were Georgia.

The last pair, my FRESH sneakers, were a birthday present this year.

They are free of the past snow and rains and mentioned in the book, Dandelion Wine, by Ray Bradbury.

” with this new pair of shoes, he could do anything, anything at all,” writes Bradbury.

And they have the potential to, one day, like friends who stick around, become old shoes.

Comfortable beyond belife.

As comfortable as an old pair of shoes.

Based on the time to takes to break these in, are they the last pair of sneakers I will need to buy?

July 26 – Haiku for today

Haiku for today
set last night, gone this morning
esprit de l’escalier!!!

Before I feel alseep I had today’s Haiku all set and in my mind.

It was great.

“Write it down,” I said to myself.

But it was so good, I knew I would remember it.

Then I woke up and it was gone.

In a way, an example of esprit de l’escalier.

This name for the phenomenon comes from French encyclopedist and philosopher Denis Diderot’s description of such a situation in his Paradoxe sur le comédien (“Paradox of the Actor”). During a dinner at the home of statesman Jacques Necker, a remark was made to Diderot which left him speechless at the time, because, he explains, “l’homme sensible, comme moi, tout entier à ce qu’on lui objecte, perd la tête et ne se retrouve qu’au bas de l’escalier” (“a sensitive man, such as myself, overwhelmed by the argument levelled against him, becomes confused and can only think clearly again [when he finds himself] at the bottom of the stairs”).

In this case, “the bottom of the stairs” refers to the architecture of the kind of hôtel particulier or mansion to which Diderot had been invited. In such houses, the reception rooms were on the étage noble, one floor above the ground floor. To have reached the bottom of the stairs means to have definitively left the gathering. (Wikipedia)

Moral of the story — WRITE IT DOWN STUPID!

July 25 – loud rodomontades

loud rodomontades
brass tintinnabulations
noise from Washington

Reading late last night, I came across rodomontades, in a passage about Winston Churchill, and I knew I would have to use it in a haiku.

Tintinnabulations has been stored away in my brain, waiting for its turn.

Rodomontades was thrown out by spell check.

That’s a win for me any day.

As for the thought behind today’s haiku, after a day of Trump, Congress and Mueller and their pontificating on the news programs along with the news commentators talking talking talking, its all tinkling brass after a while.

As Mr. Twain wrote long ago, “Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”

Today, instead of member of Congress, substitute, ‘held any National Office.”

Poor us.

Poor US.

Poor Uncle Sam.

July 24 – huge trucks, left and right

huge trucks, left and right
north and south, run me over
daily life at work

The commute is bad enough but the real traffic problems often don’t start until I get to work.

Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid.

I am standing in center square and there is a land mine in all the other squares.

My first email of the day says, ‘take one step in any direction.’

Complicating the issue is the inbred all American feeling of work place justice.

A feeling that this situation isn’t right, it isn’t fair.

I don’t have to put up with this.

I am not going to put up with this.

The notion persists that THEY can’t treat me this way.

This is the country of The Caine Mutiny after all.

Young American Men, in a time of war yet, a national emergency, take on a petty tyrant and expose the injustice of their workplace situation, list the faults of their commander and triumph against the system.

Yeah, well kinda sorta maybe.

The movie shows the scene after the trial where Barney Greenwald confronts Tom Keefer and belittle’s Keefer’s and the other officers for their actions.

The book is a little more in depth on the after trial.

The verdict in favor of Steve Maryk and the other officers is vacated as a miscarriage of justice.

And this is somewhat overlooked, Willie Keith goes back to the USS Caine.

The same ship.

The same crew.

The same Navy.

The same rules and regulations.

Queeg was gone to be sure.

Consider this.

Had all the officers let go of their personal outrage and supported Queeg the best they could have, Queeg would have been moved along by the Navy.

I understand this.

What changed.

What was different.

I think I am watching the wrong movie.

Reading the wrong book.

Perhaps I should turn instead to the classic No Time For Sergeants.

The first night in boot camp, Sergeant King comes out to explain life in the military.

He says, “Well, I’ve been in for 18 years and it ain’t like you think it is at all.
It’s a quiet, peaceful life, if you mind your own business.
It’s like there was a big lake, nice and calm.
I’m in a canoe, you’re in another, the captain’s in a canoe and the colonel.
You know what you do if you report somebody or complain about somebody …or request something?
You make waves.
I hate to pull rank on you, but for your information … you got the smallest canoe in the whole lake.”

On the whole, this is a much better outlook for the modern american workplace.

I am writing it on my office wall as you read this.

Because tomorrow we are all back in our canoes out on the lake.

July 23 – A life worse living

A life worse living
commuting, daily driving
lost hours from each day

On the surface, a life that depends on a daily, one way, 1 to 2 hour drive, may be and probably, should be, considered worse living.

It’s a nutty way to live.

Driving miles and miles in cars from homes to jobs where we earn the money to pay for the cars and homes.

Boggles the mind the think how this county is built to accommodate the car.

I expect some day that stadiums will be designed as huge round parking garages so you can watch the game from your car like a giant drive in movie.

Then move on to consider that having the inconvenience of a long daily commute usually means that;

I have a job.

I have a home.

I have a car.

I have some choices in life, way I live my life and lifestyle.

On a plus – minus examination, I have to admit I come out ahead in the game.

Worse living?

Yes, who wants to be listening to an audio book then sitting at home with a cool drink and a book open on my lap.

Is there worse worse living.

You bet.

July 22 – Life, Work, the balance

Life, Work, the balance
live for work, working to live
living while working

Back from vacation.

First time in a long, long time that I really unplugged.

Helped that there was poor to no cell service where we were.

I feel like I should hide this location from the world or a cell tower will be built there tomorrow.

But back at work after a week away.

Energized.

Resolved to pick up on job performance while sharply defining the time of work and not working.

Recharged.

Ready to go.

I left my key card at home.