South Of Someplace: July 2019

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

The Rewards Of Practice

I love the feeling of confidence that comes from knowing how to do something so well that, when a challenge comes, I will have no doubt in my mind that I can overcome it. And when the opportunity is presented and I deliver efficiently and effectively, that is the greatest feeling in the world. It is a feeling that can only be achieved through practice, lots and lots of practice.

Bitterness

Bitterness is a weight that you don’t need to carry and a curse that does no good to share.

Moon Shot

In order to send people to the moon and bring them back to Earth safely, scientists and engineers had to solve problems that had never been solved before, problems that bordered on the impossible.

Providing healthcare to the entire population is not like sending humans to another planet. It won’t require a single scientific breakthrough. The administrative problems have already been solved. Many countries provide healthcare for all of their citizens, and they do so at lower costs per capita than the healthcare that Americans purchase today, and with demonstrably better results. The only thing that’s lacking is the political will to challenge the companies that are making astronomical fortunes in the for-profit healthcare industry and to convince the public that they will be better off when their healthcare decisions are no longer controlled by boards of directors who are trying to maximize their company profits.

Aiding The Opposition

Candidates who have no hope of being elected president should be mindful of the damage that they do when they attack the policy ideas of the frontrunners. Intra-party bickering helps the opposition.

Believe In Yourself

Believe in yourself

Be a little arrogant

If you find it helps

Believe in your dreams

No one knows the splendid gifts

That you have to share

Believe in your mind

Know that you can comprehend

Anything you try

Believe in your heart

Live your passion, make your art

Love is the best part

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Hard Truth In America

Colin Kaepernick knelt at the beginning of football games to protest excessive and often deadly police violence against Black people. You have to wonder why when a Black athlete protested harm coming to Black people, a bunch of White people twisted the meaning and claimed that he was “disrespecting the country.”

No, actually you don’t have to wonder why. A racist lives in the White House today. The border patrol detains brown people in cages that aren't fit for animals. Is anyone surprised that there was backlash when a Black person had the guts and the audacity to protest institutionalized racism?

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Sunset Island

There is an island

Far, far away

Where broken dreams

And unsatisfied love

Retire

To live out

Their twilight years

The air is warm

And the beach and the water

Are beautiful

But when the sun sets

There’s no color cast

In the sky

Only the bleak, heavy gray of regret

And the haunting, mournful emptiness

Of sadness

Outsider

I went to see Steve Miller and Marty Stuart last evening. It was a beautiful outdoor venue in perfect weather, and the sun was setting as the concert was getting under way.

I had a funny thought as I was waiting for the show to start: I can’t remember the last time I was surrounded by more laid back, middle-aged White people. The crowds in New York typically aren’t so homogeneous.

The strange things is that, although I was definitely in my demographic, for some reason, I still felt like an oddball. I never feel as though I fit in, even when the crowd looks a lot like me. Being an outsider is my default state. I have an idiosyncratic soul.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Art And Expression

Art is not about perfection. It’s about passion. It’s about connection.

If you feel something in your heart and you express it honestly, even if the delivery is a little rough, you will move people. You will touch their souls, because they will recognize something about themselves when they experience what you have shared.

If someone criticizes you or your expression, smile and nod and realize they don’t understand it. Perhaps they have not gone through an experience like the one that inspired you. But I guarantee that if, one day, they have a similar experience, they will understand exactly what you were trying to say. The meaning will come to them clearly and immediately. When that happens, they will realize that you knew what you were doing all along despite their lack of appreciation.

Be bold. Express those thoughts and ideas that are important to you, even if the expression is raw and unpolished, even if some people don’t understand it. Art does not have to be glamorous, nor does it have to be widely accepted. It just has to be real and heartfelt.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Wars Of The Future

If wars are to be waged in the future, instead of fighting over who gets to pull more carbon out of the ground, the battle should be over who isn’t doing enough to keep it out of the air.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Own Your Mistakes

Own your mistakes. Don’t let them own you.

Extra Mile

Sometimes, we go the extra mile. Sometimes, we need the extra rest.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Cooking Competition Wisdom

Televised cooking competitions offer an inspiring metaphor for life.

On some days, we get to cook with filet mignon, corn on the cob, and fresh strawberries. On other days, all we have is kale, bologna, and lima beans.

Nobody cares. They expect us to make dinner, and they expect it to be nourishing and delicious.

Whether you are blessed with an abundance of fine ingredients or a collection of odds and ends, you have to deliver. Put your head down, do your best, and make it work, or the family will go hungry.

Monday, July 15, 2019

What Matters

What matters is not where people come from but whether they are kind.

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Real Problems

I have real problems

Sorry, but your hurt feelings

Don’t rank among them

Saturday, July 13, 2019

New York Minute 150 - World Cup Champions

On Tuesday of this past week, New York City honored the US Women’s Soccer Team, champions of the 2019 World Cup. The parade wasn’t far from my office, but I was not able to get out to see it, as I was required to attend concurrent meetings.

When the meetings were over, I stepped out for a coffee break. As I walked up the street, I was delighted to see several parents and families with young girls holding American flags proudly.

By chance, I saw the US Women’s soccer team walking through Los Angeles International Airport in 1999. This was the World Cup Championship team of Mia Hamm and Brandy Chastain. I thought back to that chance encounter this week. It made me wonder how many of the women on the 2019 team were inspired by that great team from twenty years ago. It made me wonder how many girls and young women across the country and around the world will be inspired by today’s bold, enthusiastic champions. One generation inspires another.

It was a beautiful day for a parade, a wonderful celebration for all of sports, and an inspiring moment for young athletes everywhere, especially the girls of America.

Friday, July 12, 2019

Mea Culpa

It’s hard to admit this now, but I once admired Donald Trump and believed that he was quite a sharp fellow. Way back in the 80’s and 90’s, long before the birth certificate scandal, when “the Donald” was still married to his first wife and putting up impressive projects like the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, he seemed to have the golden touch.

I bought a copy of ‘The Art Of The Deal’ when it came out. I read it and took it seriously. We didn’t know at the time that the subject wasn’t paying his contractors or that he was racking up debt that would destroy most of his business ventures. His ghost writer left that part out of the book. We didn’t know about the secret deals that he had made with The National Enquirer, the payoffs and the iron-clad contracts to keep the sordid details of his personal life from being reported. They hid his secrets well.

I was fooled. I bought into the mystique of the genius who took a “small loan” from his father and turned it into a real estate empire. I thought of that as an amazing accomplishment by a shrewd and brilliant man. I wasn’t the only one who was fooled. Celebrities who have socialized with Trump over the years have admitted that they don’t recognize this current version of the man, the vindictive, race-baiting politician who offends America’s allies while befriending dictators. They remember him as being a good-natured guy who was fun to talk to.

It’s shocking to realize that you’ve been fooled not just easily, as anyone can perpetrate a myth about themselves, but so thoroughly and for so many years. I wrote a short poem about this a few months ago, the disappointment of looking up to someone, thinking that they are brilliant and inspiring, and finding out later that they weren’t at all who you thought they were, finding instead that they are corrupt and petty and dangerously out of control. It’s disquieting to discover that we can be fooled so effectively by someone’s carefully crafted hype.

What You Can Do Today

Today

You can

Accomplish something

Learn something

Help people

Bring joy to someone’s heart

Waste a day

Of your life

The choice is yours

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Ocean Breeze

Sometimes

When life gets hard

And work seems stressful

You just want a break

So you can get away

Sit back

Put your feet up

And relax all day

On a beautiful beach

In ideal weather

In Hawaii, maybe,

Or Tahiti

Sitting there

In a comfortable chair

Enjoying the sunshine

And sweet, juicy chunks

Of perfectly ripened

Mango and oranges

And watermelon

Soaked in tequila

Delicious tequila

Sitting there peacefully

Enjoying the sea breeze

And holding hands

With a beautiful friend

In cool sunglasses

And a sexy bathing suit

A friend who’s always

Had a crush on you

And wants to spend time together

Helping you relax

Unwind

And maybe make a baby

If you have enough time

Yes

Every now and then

When life is a mess

And work is full of stress

It’s so nice to dream

Of a beach vacation

With mangos

And other delicious

Tropical treats

So pack a light suitcase

Buy some sunscreen

And pass the tequila

There’s nothing quite as perfect

As an ocean breeze

On a secluded beach

Shared with a hot friend

Who adores you

Be Honest With Yourself

It’s unkind to deceive others, but deceiving yourself is worse. You can’t make progress until you accept and understand your own weaknesses. Until then, you’ll blame others for everything that makes you uncomfortable.

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Washing Machine

I need half an hour

In the washing machine

Swish around in those bubbles

To get nice and clean

Hang on while the spin

Sends the dirt down then drain

Then fluff up in the dryer

‘til I feel fresh again

Heaven On A Clear Summer Night

Heaven is a relaxing run on a clear summer night.

Monday, July 8, 2019

Left and Right

When the Left demands perfection

The Right wins the election

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Keep Dreaming

Keep dreaming. Keep going. Keep doing. Be fully engaged in this moment. Embrace today’s opportunities as you allow yesterday’s disappointments to slip away gently behind you. Now is all that we have.

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Life And Our Deepest Thoughts

As a fanciful youth, I imagined my life following a number of remarkable paths. I pictured myself living on an island, composing beautiful music, and creating wonderful pictures. I dreamt of writing poetry and spinning exciting stories. I imagined myself riding trains every day, being married to a beautiful woman, and having the unusual ability to be able to run for hours on end.

It all seemed rather unlikely. How many people actually live on islands? How do they make their living? What sort of person rides trains every day unless they have a career with the railroad? And how might it be possible to run for hours when I would tire after barely a minute?

Life has a way of finding a path to where our deepest thoughts direct us.

Today, I do live on a magical island. I write my stories and my poetry, compose my music and take beautiful pictures, and I ride trains five days a week. I am blessed to be married to a beautiful woman, and while it has been some time since I have run for hours, I have done so many times in the past, and as long as my health does not fail me, I’m sure that I’ll do it again.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Politics In A Galaxy Far, Far Away

POLITICS IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY

R2D2: We all have to work together to help Luke defeat the Evil Emperor.

C3PO: Oh, dear! I was hoping that Bernie Sanders was going to defeat the Emperor.

R2D2: That’s great! Bernie and his supporters can help. We need everyone’s help!

C3PO: But you see, I’m afraid that I wouldn’t feel comfortable supporting anyone other than Bernie.

R2D2: This is the Evil Empire that we’re talking about. They have a Death Star. They’re going to use it.

C3PO: Well, nobody wants that, obviously. I just don’t feel that Bernie has been treated fairly.

R2D2: Do the words “dead planet” mean anything to you?

C3PO: Well, now, you don’t have to get snippy! Of course I care about the planet. That’s why I’m supporting the Green Party.

R2D2: (Why do I even bother with this bleepity-bleep-wee-oo?)

Star Machine

The machine that makes one a superstar

Will one day confiscate all that they are

It happened to Prince

It happened to Paul

Now Taylor Swift is losing it all