It's Fourth of July. Given the decline of our democratic republic, I'm not celebrating that. Instead, I have an anniversary to consider and maybe celebrate. Years ago, I read about of Morning Pages, Julia Cameron's practice of writing three pages by hand first thing each morning . It appealed to me, but I didn't begin. I've long had dreams of filling pages, creating a mountain of work. Each…
This may seem silly. I spent $300 on a personal laptop. I have a work laptop I've also used for home, but I've found myself avoiding it so as to get away from work. That's kept me from personal correspondence and writing, two big losses. There's a Framework laptop I love , but it costs $1,500. I can't get behind that. I watched this Becca Farsace video in which she suggests buying refurbished, a…
I opened the browser and navigated to Runner's World for running inspiration. Yesterday, I did a few treadmill miles and felt good. To keep that going, I wanted a bit of inspiration, but the headlines didn't do much for me. I know this stuff. So, why not write it myself? I stole a title: "How to Start Running." Now I can talk to myself, and maybe you, about it. Start running by going for a run. We…
I haven't bought a book from Amazon in a couple years. Long ago, I was so excited that Amazon had pretty much any book I might want. My excitement gave way as bookstores closed. Turns out, hunting for books is more enjoyable than having them all at my fingertips. I don't buy much of anything from Amazon. Its founder is repugnant, its business model is odious, and its part of a poisonous tech…
I read a New York Times piece about Marjorie Taylor Greene. Robert Draper's' thoughtful piece about her comes after months of coverage, coming to know her, earning her trust, and going beyond headlines and bombast. The piece moved me. I may be naive thinking MTG has changed her tune. Even if she has, she still says hateful things. Her history is a strong indictment. I don't typically get past my…
to cause (someone or something) to disappear: to abduct and kill or imprison (someone, such as a political dissident) while withholding information about the person's fate This morning I wanted to hear jazz guitarist Jim Hall's Wonderboy , an album I've listened to many times on YouTube Music. But the album had been disappeared, a jarring reminder that streamed music isn't something I own. Now…
I opened my notebook to see that I was only on page fifty. Not on page fifty, but only there, with sixty-plus pages left to fill. That framing got me wondering, would another notebook give me greater joy? Maybe, but the pen felt good against the grain of the page, the ink shined on it, and I couldn't find anything not to enjoy there. It reminded that it's a poor worker who blames his tools and I…
At work, I'm leading another organization, facing questions of budgets, staffing, and programs. I can handle those, but I struggle with really important stuff like how to unlock the bathroom paper towel dispenser. I've thought about it for weeks, made half-hearted searches for the key, but today put a solid hour into this crucial problem. The folks who hired me may want to rethink things. The…
I was a big Starbucks consumer. Beans and drinks. I wanted rewards on the app and frequented it when traveling. It seemed the best coffee ever. Then a friend said they preferred local shops that invest in the community. They weren't arguing, just stating intent, it struck me. I don't buy Starbucks anymore. Don't have the app. I buy Salt City Coffee and Recess Coffee here in Syracuse. Traveling, I…
A friend said, "you're so lucky your mortgage payment is so low!" Our three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath, single-garage home with full back and front yards, in a small city costs just over $300 a month plus property taxes of just under $5,000 a year. I see why they think we're lucky. But beyond our white, middle-class privilege, it was choice, not luck. In 2001, about to have our first child, we…
There are 247 albums in my collection. Vinyl. Analog. The kind that spin on a turntable. Playing now is Vince Guaraldi's Alma-Ville , a tremendous record from a musician who should be known for more than the great music to Peanuts. This year, I'm trying to listen to every album. I like this kind of challenge, spending time with analog things, listening and maybe writing. A ridiculous project, but…
For months, I've considered writing how I start my mornings, the routines that largely serve me. I usually enjoy reading how others begin the day. I haven't written the description because I've felt short on time. Often enough, I'm grinding against the routine anyway, thinking I need to do more. I don't exercise or meditate in the morning. I fail to make and eat a healthy breakfast or pack a good…
I prefer to write with pen on paper. There's no way for corporations, governments, or individuals to know what I write that way. But I'm typing this on the computer, my data tracked, and I'll publish this to the blog. So much for privacy. For 3,802 days straight, I've written three Morning Pages by hand on paper. Thats' 11,406 pages no one is likely ever to see. What's the point of keeping that…
I was writing at my desk. The window o the left lets in good writing light. Behind me, the big living room window gives a view of the immediate world. As I wrote, I heard a hard thunk on that front window and knew what had happened. Two tiny feathers stuck to the glass. On the patio below lay a small bird. My heart sunk. Things have been weighing on me more than usual. In the opinion section of…
There's a great Looney Tunes cartoon in which Bugs Bunny, trying to create trouble, saws Florida off the continent, sets it afloat, and shouts, "South America, take it away!" It's a thought I've had often about Florida, but I'm taking a larger view post-election and am ready to give most of the country away. In 2016, I was angry, ready to fight and save the republic from those silly Republicans.…
Talking with friends about cats, of all things, I said, I kind of enjoy scooping the litter box. This raised doubting eyebrows. No, really, I said. It's like a Zen garden. One of my friends told me, "scooping litter is not like a Zen garden" full stop. I didn't protest, didn't know how to press my case, and was in no mood to argue with friends. But tonight, Hamlet came to me: "for there is nothing…
Tonight, I picked up a book to re-read. Sticking out of it was a page of notepad paper I used as a bookmark the first time. Inside the book's front cover, I'd written "December 25, 2007, from Mom and Dad." That brought back a couple memories. First, Dad was still alive then but, the book was, as most presents were, picked out by Mom, according to a list I'd given her. By then, I'd been making…
A woman who may or may not have issues with mental stability sat near me at the coffee shop. I had spread my stuff over two tables and apologized. Sorry, do you need this table? No, she said. I'm just waiting for my coffee. I said, I'd just carelessly pushed stuff over there. She said, don't you worry about it. Then she said, that blazer and shirt, those glasses, you look sharp. You look really…
Work let out early today for the eclipse, so I decided to squeeze in a run before the moon blotted out the sunlight. I grabbed a bite to eat and climbed the stairs to get changed. Ow, my thighs complained. I cchanged into shorts and a t-shirt anyway and wend back down the stairs. Ouch, ouch, ouch. Outside, I did some stretches because I've been told they'll loosen things up. They don't, but I did…
I went for a run. Walked down the driveway, heard the GPS watch beep, trotted into the street, and turned left up the hill. My plan was to do reverse my cemetery run. Five miles. My happy distance. In reverse, I begin uphill for a mile, pass behind the public school, cross the street, and head into the new section of the cemetery. Cemeteries are great places to run. Quiet. Gently curving, narrow…