Category Archives: Thoughts For the Day

I looked in my little black book and the pages were empty. That can mean only one thing; there are things to do and tales to tell.

Reality bleeds fantasy from its shredded veins. Only the impossible is a target worth pursuing. ‘Never’ is the only destination worth sacrificing ‘now.’    

You rarely have opportunities to correct past mistakes. Take them. All of them. If they don’t present themselves, seek them out. On even fewer occasions, you’re presented with second chances at missed opportunities to do or be good.  Only a fool would … Continue reading →

Post 262. Might as well make it to 365. Thanks Robin & Trisha for the encouragement. If you can’t hear yourself whistle, you may be playing a trombone.

Today is the 261st day of the year.  The 261st post I’ve called “Thoughts for  the Day.” I think it’s time to kill this fantasy.  I imagined a “thought a day” could be therapeutic in some fashion.  But it’s just become embarrassingly … Continue reading →

Those things you wanted but failed to do in your youth? Now’s the time, right this minute. Today. This week. By the time the month is out. Before the end of the year. And the ultimate bucket list postponement: “Before … Continue reading →

Ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora. For those of us who have not taken multiple years of conversational Latin courses, the phrase translates into English as “Eggs today are better than chickens tomorrow.”  AKA, “a bird in hand is worth … Continue reading →

What this place needs is a jazz/blues/folk/country coffee house that serves coffee and espresso in the morning and wine with carpaccio & capers in the evening. And an audience willing to risk engaging in intellectual challenges that might not always be won. There’s … Continue reading →

I look in the mirror and see my reflection.  I am not the reflection, but the reflection is me.

Share a secret and it no longer behaves like a secret; it behaves like a lie with loud-mouthed friends.

If you are going to remonstrate against an opponent’s position, be sure you fully understand his position.

Don’t muddy the river from which you need to drink. Don’t chastise the person from whom you need compassion. Don’t behave as if one day you will rule the world. You won’t.

One of my brothers sent me a link to a truly fascinating TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson on the topic: Do Schools Kill Creativity? The video constitutes my Thoughts for the Day for September 10, 2014. I encourage you … Continue reading →

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.  Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide.  The whole moon … Continue reading →

Two open minds.  That’s all it takes to engage in a calm, dispassionate argument about political issues. Oh, they both have to be involved in the same conversation.

Embers smother under their own ashes.  An ember can rekindle with a breath of air and a tiny spark.  A long-smoldering memory can erupt into a welcome conflagration in an instant.

When fantasies become dreams…and dreams become visions…and visions become obsessions, one’s place in the world becomes fragile. For if  one cannot realistically hope to live one’s fantasy,  he or she obsesses over impossibility. Such a situation leads only to disappointment and madness. Stay sane; wish … Continue reading →

You have memories; they are secrets you can share with no one, not even yourself. But they are delicious memories you’d give your soul to experience again, if only you could.

As we walk along the road of life, we learn it is a brittle road.

A few years ago, I had an idea to spend each week for a year at a different job, then write about the experience. It’s since been done (One Week Job Project), but the idea still appeals to me. The downside, … Continue reading →

Self-imposed slavery—whether to a philosophy or to an artificial constraint on our own freedom to do what we want when we want—is just as confining as shackles. We allow ourselves to label as impossible those endeavors that certainly are possible, although difficult or … Continue reading →

With proper planning and sufficient luck (or absent both), you may be assured of a spectacular, downright wonderful September.  It is in your hands. Make it so.

Forgive yourself.  That’s what I got from the advice I heard given to someone else.  But it fits me just as well. Even when you behave badly, make stupid decisions, or create chaos with ill-conceived ideas, forgive yourself.  Take ample time … Continue reading →

Power was restored at 5:35 a.m., not 11:30 p.m. as originally promised.  So, I guess it was out for about ten hours or so…that’s a long time without light and AC and fans. After my long-delayed shower, we’re ready to hit … Continue reading →

Last night, I listened to music by Dave Bromberg, an amazing blues guitarist.  And songwriter.  And singer.  And so forth. And on and on!   On occasion, it’s nice to let my imagine go and just listen to an incredible … Continue reading →