On a quiet neighborhood corner, a young pair of brothers are riding their bicycles in circles on their double driveway and sometimes looping into the quiet street. The house is on a corner. This is a three way stop. There is a stop sign on their side lawn. Mother is watching very cautiously from the garage door while Dad is tinkering in the garage. A friend of the mother is driving by on the other side of the street. She stops to wave "hello" across the other lane.
I drive up on my way home. I stop. I pass through the intersection watching the boys on the bicycles. The older boy makes a loop into the street. Three people hold their breaths in anxious anticipation. I touch my brakes and slow. The child rides his bicycle back onto his driveway. The friend sighs, knowing that I saw the child and took the appropriate precaution. The mother, taking a few steps forward, smiles at me as I drive by. I smile back.
In our neighborhood we all look out for each other. And feel good about our community. Five seconds out of my busy life and I get to enjoy the beauty of non-verbal human communication. Oh, what a wonderful world.
D.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
John Greenleaf Whittier
A favorite quote:
For all the words of tongue and pen,
The saddest are these: "It might have been".
For all the words of tongue and pen,
The saddest are these: "It might have been".
what counts. (a poem)
I have been told that this poem is overly cynical and depressing. I guess it is also too simplistic. I personally now think I may have posted it too quickly so I will call it a work in progress. How is that?
Covered all my bases on that. Here are my, uh, notes for this poem:
"In a small American town, two blocks off mainstreet, there are, in this order, an old folks retirement home, a mortuary, and an antiques shop.
A life built on mainstreet moves to a rest home, and ends with eventual inevitability in a mortuary. A life's belongings are sold or relegated to an antiques store.
Life really doesn't amount to much."
What I really want to say, and this goes with the previous post, make something of your life. Have something to show at the end of your days. I know. I even depress myself.
Covered all my bases on that. Here are my, uh, notes for this poem:
"In a small American town, two blocks off mainstreet, there are, in this order, an old folks retirement home, a mortuary, and an antiques shop.
A life built on mainstreet moves to a rest home, and ends with eventual inevitability in a mortuary. A life's belongings are sold or relegated to an antiques store.
Life really doesn't amount to much."
What I really want to say, and this goes with the previous post, make something of your life. Have something to show at the end of your days. I know. I even depress myself.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
A Hundred Years From Now
Have you ever sat and wondered what legacy you are leaving behind? I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about my life and work. I have two beautiful children to carry on my name and character. I should not worry about that, really. I have two brothers and four sisters who all have kids and we all share a general character and values that I believe we are passing on. I hope some day my kids will fully understand the gifts I have given them.
I had dinner tonight with my parents. I sat next to my dad and he was making all sorts of wise cracks about this and that. It is plain to see where I get my sense of humor. He was really just being silly. That is what my humor is, just plain silly. But that is ok. A good laugh or even a little chuckle can lift your spirit. I think that is how I use my humor. Most often it is to pick up my spirits. There is nothing wrong with that.
I stress out about work a lot. But I was looking at our wall in the living room tonight. I looked at an old picture of my family. My brothers and sisters and I were in our late teens and early twenties when my mom realized that we were all going our separate ways. She wanted a family portrait done. Her legacy. We all got all gussied up in our Sunday best and went to a photographer for a sitting.
I know each of my brothers and sisters still have that photo. My mom has it hanging in her living room. I looked at mine and thought what will happen to that picture twenty years from now when it is replaced by pictures of my grandchildren. Will it be exiled to a photo album? Tossed in a drawer or box and thrown into the garage or some closet?
Where will it be forty years from now? Will my children go through my belongings when I am dead and gone and look at it for a few minutes to reminisce about their aunts and uncles and grandparents? Will it be taken out and re-hung on a wall? No, I doubt that. The picture, the lives, the memories, shared and forgotten do not have a life beyond the realm of family. It is just a portrait of no historic value other than to the life story of my children and neices and nephews.
A hundred years from now, it will just be a portrait of a family long forgotten. But look at the hair and the clothing styles and it will not say much more than that. Such is life. Life is transitory. Families move. People live and die. Memories fade. The true value is in the spirit. The values and character that we pass on.
I work in a field where technology is always changing. The machines we develop today are very different than the ones we developed just twenty years ago. And there has been mention that the machines we are building now will be obsolete in another twenty years. So why do we bother. Well, because we live in the here and now. We need shelter and food and our work provides that. We provide comfort and warmth and we leave values and character. That is our true gift.
Sometimes work will yield lasting qualities and goods. I do not work in that field. I know that I work with people who create knowledge and that knowledge is used to create products or other knowledge. It is a glorious circle of intelligence. One thought begets another thought.
"I think, therefore I am". Therefore I live, and create and pass on the "goods" that I have learned.
Be good in life. Be fruitful in your thoughts, be generous in your gifts. And remember, you came into this world, cold, naked and hungry, and there are no physical commodities that you can take with you when you go. But please, take the knowledge that your values will remain, take your memories, take your family, and take the knowledge and spiritual insight that you have gained. I wish you all the best.
Good Night.
D.
I had dinner tonight with my parents. I sat next to my dad and he was making all sorts of wise cracks about this and that. It is plain to see where I get my sense of humor. He was really just being silly. That is what my humor is, just plain silly. But that is ok. A good laugh or even a little chuckle can lift your spirit. I think that is how I use my humor. Most often it is to pick up my spirits. There is nothing wrong with that.
I stress out about work a lot. But I was looking at our wall in the living room tonight. I looked at an old picture of my family. My brothers and sisters and I were in our late teens and early twenties when my mom realized that we were all going our separate ways. She wanted a family portrait done. Her legacy. We all got all gussied up in our Sunday best and went to a photographer for a sitting.
I know each of my brothers and sisters still have that photo. My mom has it hanging in her living room. I looked at mine and thought what will happen to that picture twenty years from now when it is replaced by pictures of my grandchildren. Will it be exiled to a photo album? Tossed in a drawer or box and thrown into the garage or some closet?
Where will it be forty years from now? Will my children go through my belongings when I am dead and gone and look at it for a few minutes to reminisce about their aunts and uncles and grandparents? Will it be taken out and re-hung on a wall? No, I doubt that. The picture, the lives, the memories, shared and forgotten do not have a life beyond the realm of family. It is just a portrait of no historic value other than to the life story of my children and neices and nephews.
A hundred years from now, it will just be a portrait of a family long forgotten. But look at the hair and the clothing styles and it will not say much more than that. Such is life. Life is transitory. Families move. People live and die. Memories fade. The true value is in the spirit. The values and character that we pass on.
I work in a field where technology is always changing. The machines we develop today are very different than the ones we developed just twenty years ago. And there has been mention that the machines we are building now will be obsolete in another twenty years. So why do we bother. Well, because we live in the here and now. We need shelter and food and our work provides that. We provide comfort and warmth and we leave values and character. That is our true gift.
Sometimes work will yield lasting qualities and goods. I do not work in that field. I know that I work with people who create knowledge and that knowledge is used to create products or other knowledge. It is a glorious circle of intelligence. One thought begets another thought.
"I think, therefore I am". Therefore I live, and create and pass on the "goods" that I have learned.
Be good in life. Be fruitful in your thoughts, be generous in your gifts. And remember, you came into this world, cold, naked and hungry, and there are no physical commodities that you can take with you when you go. But please, take the knowledge that your values will remain, take your memories, take your family, and take the knowledge and spiritual insight that you have gained. I wish you all the best.
Good Night.
D.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Kindness
A kind word, a genuine smile, a held door. Little gestures go a long way. The past few weeks at work have been very stressful and at times overwhelming. I don't handle stress very well and sometimes I get depressed. I power through and not always under the best of conditions or mental attitude. But these past few days a friend at work has been there for me. I cannot express the deep gratitude that I feel for the kindness she has shown. The kind words and little gestures do go a long way. Sometimes that can mean a lot.
Go out there and be kind to people. Your actions can have a greater impact than you may ever know. Just do it. Someday, someone may say thank you.
D.
Go out there and be kind to people. Your actions can have a greater impact than you may ever know. Just do it. Someday, someone may say thank you.
D.
Monday, October 13, 2008
war on poverty
I found some notes on my desk as I was moving my little work station around in my son's old room. He moved out to my daughter's old room. She is away at college. They decided that they would switch. I got the leftover room.
I had read an article a few weeks back. It was an interesting read. That word is a fascinating word. I know what it means. When people really don't want to talk about the questions raised they always say that it is an "interesting question", or you are an "interesting person". That implies that they did some thinking about it. They really don't want it to go any further than that. Maybe they aren't really as smart as they think they are, or maybe they are afraid they will be found out.
Well, I guess that is unfair, but on several occasions that is how it has turned out. All I want is some discussions that lead to growth - physical, mental, spiritual - it doesn't matter to me. I need the intellectual stimulation. I miss it. I am dying without it. Mostly, it is a matter of time. Who has the time to really sit and think about stuff. That is all I want. I want to be a philosopher. I think really that a smart conversation can be beneficial to everyone.
The discussion I wanted to have was serious and thus unlikely to find time for discussion. People just don't have time for intellectual pursuits. I was reading some time back about the war on poverty. I tried to bring this up to a person whose intellect I admire. But they really didn't even seem to want to talk. It hurts sometimes. But I digress...
I shall paraphrase…
"Why should we be fighting poverty? It is the default condition for humans. We are all born naked and hungry. What we should instead be asking is how come some prosper and some don't. What we should be asking is rather why are some educated and some not. Why do some learn and others not?" (David Freddoso, National Review).
I thought this a very thought provoking question. Food for thought. Don't you think?
I would rather see the schools actually focus on education and not their own personal indoctrination. Teach kids to learn, to actually think for themselves. Let them find their own way.
Hmmmmm!? What do you think?
D.
I had read an article a few weeks back. It was an interesting read. That word is a fascinating word. I know what it means. When people really don't want to talk about the questions raised they always say that it is an "interesting question", or you are an "interesting person". That implies that they did some thinking about it. They really don't want it to go any further than that. Maybe they aren't really as smart as they think they are, or maybe they are afraid they will be found out.
Well, I guess that is unfair, but on several occasions that is how it has turned out. All I want is some discussions that lead to growth - physical, mental, spiritual - it doesn't matter to me. I need the intellectual stimulation. I miss it. I am dying without it. Mostly, it is a matter of time. Who has the time to really sit and think about stuff. That is all I want. I want to be a philosopher. I think really that a smart conversation can be beneficial to everyone.
The discussion I wanted to have was serious and thus unlikely to find time for discussion. People just don't have time for intellectual pursuits. I was reading some time back about the war on poverty. I tried to bring this up to a person whose intellect I admire. But they really didn't even seem to want to talk. It hurts sometimes. But I digress...
I shall paraphrase…
"Why should we be fighting poverty? It is the default condition for humans. We are all born naked and hungry. What we should instead be asking is how come some prosper and some don't. What we should be asking is rather why are some educated and some not. Why do some learn and others not?" (David Freddoso, National Review).
I thought this a very thought provoking question. Food for thought. Don't you think?
I would rather see the schools actually focus on education and not their own personal indoctrination. Teach kids to learn, to actually think for themselves. Let them find their own way.
Hmmmmm!? What do you think?
D.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The thought hurts
Sometimes I think of things. I have a spark of a thought. Just a little flicker. Boom. Then something happens, another thought, or some task, or business, work, chores, life, then the thought is gone.
I have too much on my mind. I need to prioritize. I need to focus. Ok. but not tonight. I am listening to music. Just a compilation of my favorite folk music. Priscilla Herdman, Tom Russell, Martin Simpson, Loudon Wainwright III, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Josh Ritter. I love this music. Such great stories and emotion. Very relaxing and thought provoking. But not tonight...
Perhaps another day...
D.
I have too much on my mind. I need to prioritize. I need to focus. Ok. but not tonight. I am listening to music. Just a compilation of my favorite folk music. Priscilla Herdman, Tom Russell, Martin Simpson, Loudon Wainwright III, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Josh Ritter. I love this music. Such great stories and emotion. Very relaxing and thought provoking. But not tonight...
Perhaps another day...
D.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Greg Brown Review
Greg Brown, September 28, 2008, Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA
I have played Greg Brown and my folk music too much in the car. The wife and kids no longer accompany me to concerts. I get to enjoy the music all by myself, which is nice. But I do not get to Share my enjoyment with anyone. That is the shame of it.
On Sunday Night's concert, Greg Brown was accompanied by his good friend and fellow guitar player, Bo Ramsey. Bo Ramsey came out at 8 PM to warm up the crowd. The opening act, Bo Ramsey, a skinny old guy with a guitar, started with a folksy, bluesy "Tell Me Now". Made me want to get the CD to check it out further.
"Fragile", "What's going down."
Ramsey also did a rather repetitive, yet good beat, song called "From Buffalo to Jericho" with the great line of "a long, long time the message of love was what I was sending/
But it was just me pretending/ A long, long time."
Right around this time, about 8:30 pm, Bo Ramsey left the stage only to come back a few minutes later with Greg Brown.
Greg started with a song called "backslider". A song that I was unfamiliar with but the rest of the crowd knew it well.
Greg said that he wanted to be like Jesus because he liked the idea of being dead only three days, because he has a problem with eternity.
But then he went right into three of my favorites, "The Worrisome Years", "Laughing River" and "Whippoorwill" ("the whippoorwill is not a lonesome bird, he is just nuts", Greg Brown in his introduction). Greg wrote this song after his uncle Roscoe and his lady came to the farm for a visit.
"China", a song which inspired me to write a little poem of my own.
"If I Had Known", a song that I consider my favorite Greg Brown tune. What a beautiful tale of life and how great it is to have a short memory so we keep doing the same things over and over looking for that real moment of greatness.
Greg introduced his tribute to America, the beautiful, wonderful, rambling tale of restful America, "Eugene", with the warning to all thinking Americans "I am afraid of my Television". "Eugene" is a great tribute to us all. He says he has "a lot of books he needs to read." I have a stack of books I need to read. Another part of the song he states that "we think we got some shit figured out, then we get tired and go to bed." Greg had friends that he would visit and drink and eat with in the evening. But the gist of the song is that we must "go and look for your life."
Eugene is a stream of consciousness song about a slice of life, a tale of America.
"Slant 6 Mind"
"Think About You"
"Small Dark Movie" How are things going?
/
"Get me religion. I want to be a Baptist preacher, so I don't have to work."
Around about 10PM, a train went by behind the building. It was noticeable but not distracting or annoying.
Greg and Bo came back for an encore. He came out and sang another one of my favorites, "No Place Away", with the great line "words like notes, long slow seduction".
"Waiting on You"
Greg finished the evening with a Johnny Cash cover, "Folsom Prison". I thought this was an odd choice but then I thought it a nice tribute to Johnny Cash.
I have played Greg Brown and my folk music too much in the car. The wife and kids no longer accompany me to concerts. I get to enjoy the music all by myself, which is nice. But I do not get to Share my enjoyment with anyone. That is the shame of it.
On Sunday Night's concert, Greg Brown was accompanied by his good friend and fellow guitar player, Bo Ramsey. Bo Ramsey came out at 8 PM to warm up the crowd. The opening act, Bo Ramsey, a skinny old guy with a guitar, started with a folksy, bluesy "Tell Me Now". Made me want to get the CD to check it out further.
"Fragile", "What's going down."
Ramsey also did a rather repetitive, yet good beat, song called "From Buffalo to Jericho" with the great line of "a long, long time the message of love was what I was sending/
But it was just me pretending/ A long, long time."
Right around this time, about 8:30 pm, Bo Ramsey left the stage only to come back a few minutes later with Greg Brown.
Greg started with a song called "backslider". A song that I was unfamiliar with but the rest of the crowd knew it well.
Greg said that he wanted to be like Jesus because he liked the idea of being dead only three days, because he has a problem with eternity.
But then he went right into three of my favorites, "The Worrisome Years", "Laughing River" and "Whippoorwill" ("the whippoorwill is not a lonesome bird, he is just nuts", Greg Brown in his introduction). Greg wrote this song after his uncle Roscoe and his lady came to the farm for a visit.
"China", a song which inspired me to write a little poem of my own.
"If I Had Known", a song that I consider my favorite Greg Brown tune. What a beautiful tale of life and how great it is to have a short memory so we keep doing the same things over and over looking for that real moment of greatness.
Greg introduced his tribute to America, the beautiful, wonderful, rambling tale of restful America, "Eugene", with the warning to all thinking Americans "I am afraid of my Television". "Eugene" is a great tribute to us all. He says he has "a lot of books he needs to read." I have a stack of books I need to read. Another part of the song he states that "we think we got some shit figured out, then we get tired and go to bed." Greg had friends that he would visit and drink and eat with in the evening. But the gist of the song is that we must "go and look for your life."
Eugene is a stream of consciousness song about a slice of life, a tale of America.
"Slant 6 Mind"
"Think About You"
"Small Dark Movie" How are things going?
/
"Get me religion. I want to be a Baptist preacher, so I don't have to work."
Around about 10PM, a train went by behind the building. It was noticeable but not distracting or annoying.
Greg and Bo came back for an encore. He came out and sang another one of my favorites, "No Place Away", with the great line "words like notes, long slow seduction".
"Waiting on You"
Greg finished the evening with a Johnny Cash cover, "Folsom Prison". I thought this was an odd choice but then I thought it a nice tribute to Johnny Cash.
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