My desk chair is wholly inadequate. It does not maintain my vertical position. Slowly—sometimes suddenly—the back of the chair tilts so that I find myself reclining in front of the computer. I’ve been advised to buy a nice, sturdy, ergonomically correct executive chair. I would do exactly that if I had some idea of reasonably-priced brands or models. I consider $1679 for a new Herman Miller Aeron chair—even $699 for a refurbished model –exceptionally pricey. But what do I know? I think the chair in which I’m sitting cost around $125 when it was new, about ten years ago. And it wasn’t especially high-end, even then. Another “to-do” item to add to my ever-expanding list.
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I learned, from an online NPR article, that Cy Vance, Jr., Manhattan’s District Attorney, announced on April 21 that he is requesting dismissal of around 900 cases related to prostitution and unlicensed massage. In addition, he is seeking dismissal of another 5,000 cases involving the state’s anti-loitering statute, which was removed from the New York State penal code earlier this year. Prosecutions for “loitering for the purpose of prostitution” will be vacated under Vance’s new policy.
I am in favor of removing the damage inflicted on people for engaging in “victimless” crimes. But frequently I hear and read commentaries that argue the sex trade is not victimless; that workers in the sex trades often are abused—either physically or emotionally or financially—by their customers. The argument often suggests the customers, but not the workers, should be prosecuted. My view, for this fleeting moment, is that customers who engage in inflicting such things on sex workers should be prosecuted; otherwise, leave people alone. Some form of regulation of the trade may be the best way of protecting workers. I have no idea how the number of sex trade prosecutions compares to other offenses, but I suspect it is not significant. Yet removing those prosecutions from the courts and removing policing (which, from my reading of the article, is not clear but probably is not a given) would no doubt help prosecutors and police. Interesting stuff to think about, though. Little changes in society, happening a bit at a time, are what brings about big changes.
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Sometimes, it takes months of personal contact with a person for me to begin to get a “reading” on what sort of person is beneath the façade. Other times, it’s just a matter of days. And yet others it takes only a momentary observation of a behavior to determine what a person is like, at the core. And, of course, I’ve known people for years, thinking I knew their core personalities, only to discover that either I was wrong all along or their personalities changed. And these “readings” or knowledge or whatever I might call them can be positive or negative. I have had occasion to judge and/or dislike a person for a rather lengthy period and, to my surprise, change my opinion in time. But that’ a rarity. Usually, shifts in my judgments, if they appear, go toward the negative.
Obviously, when I determine what a person is like “at the core,” it’s just my judgment; but I rely on it. When my judgment proves harsh and wrong, I’m disappointed in myself, but glad for the disappointment, too. When my positive assessment proves wrong, I’m disappointed in myself for making a bad call. And I am disappointed in and extremely wary of the person I misjudged as someone better than I subsequently believed them to be.
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Every day, my stamina seems to decline a bit more. My breathing becomes more labored. My wheezing intensifies. My strength slips, at least a shade, from the day before. I am too young for this. But I’m quickly approaching an age-appropriate point; then, all my symptoms will be normal and natural and in keeping with the predictable decay that comes with old age.
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My coffee no longer seems to have the teeth it once had. Its strength seems to have slipped a bit. I wonder whether my coffee brand has changed its sources or processes? Or, perhaps, I grew to like the French press version so much that the old standby no longer holds the magic. One day, soon, I will visit a couple of coffee shops where, ostensibly, I can get very good coffee. Those visits will help me determine how I got into, and how to get out of, this predicament.
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Sometimes, it is best for me to simply allow my fingers to do what they will with my thoughts. And, then, I learn by reading what I’ve written and thinking about my state of mind when I wrote the words. Today, I began with a complaint and ran with that theme all the way through. I do not want to end this post on a negative note, so I will quote, again, from The Essence of Zen. And, with this quotation, I will restart the day.
Calm in quietude is not real calm.
When you can be calm in the midst of activity,
this is the true state of nature.
Happiness in comfort is not real happiness.
When you can be happy
in the midst of hardship,
then you see the true potential of
the mind.
~Huanchu Daoren~
