Writing Blog And Future Plans

Some years ago, I started a blog to capture short bits of writing. It was a good fit for my style of expression. I like to work on projects that I can finish quickly. I can access the blog from anywhere using my mobile devices. I type faster than I write by hand, so my ideas flow more freely.

I don’t have to worry about carrying a notebook. I can edit what I write without wasting paper, and everything is archived on cloud storage that will probably last longer than I will. The platform that I use is free, so there’s not even a cost associated with this venture.

I found that I was finishing about two hundred fifty posts a year. Eventually, I had the idea to try to push myself to see if I could write an entry for each day of the year. I met this goal in 2018 and promptly swore that I would never do it again.

Moment is powerful, however, and once you get in the swing of a project, it’s hard to turn it off. The next January, I wrote thirty-one entries, much to my surprise, and then another twenty-eight in February, and so on. I was well on my way to logging more than 365 entries for the second straight year.

This has been a fascinating exercise. It has pushed me to grow and mature as a writer, I have written lots of things that never would have existed if I hadn’t committed myself to meeting a monthly quota.

I won’t claim that all of this writing is good. Some of it is dull, some is corny and embarrassing. Some is frivolous fill that I cranked out as the end of the month drew near. But there are some gems in there that I look bad on with price. For that reason, the exercise has been worthwhile.

I have now completed the eleventh month of the third year. (This entry doesn’t count. I have already fulfilled my quote for November.) I’ll finish it off with thirty-one new entries in December.

Next year, however, I am going to give myself a break. I feel that it’s time to set the monthly quota aside. Every project has an opportunity cost of time and energy, and I would like to spend my time on some new projects in the coming year. When 2021 rolls around, I’m planning to write more casually. Whether I write five entries in a month or fifty or zero will depend entirely on how I feel and what I want to express.

Thanks as always for reading my thoughts. I feel a great sense of joy when they are well received.

DRS

30 November 2020

Sore Loser

Okay, Sore Loser

Pack your toys and call your mom

Time for you to go

Remember It All

Some people tell us

To forget the past

The awkward mistakes

The bitter heartbreaks

The embarrassing moments

That rethinking can’t change

The terrible jobs

The friends that we’ve lost

Just throw it all out

It’s not worth

The emotional cost

But I don’t think that’s

The right strategy

I don’t think it’s helpful

To pretend we can’t see

The trials that shaped us

Made us who we are now

The pain that brought wisdom

And sense to our brow

All we’ve accomplished

Came as we learned

The most precious lessons

Were seared when we burned

Why hide from the moments

That forced us to grow?

If life took no effort

How much would we know?

So, I would suggest

That you remember it all

The tackles

The touchdowns

The fumbles 

The falls

Every last time

You handled the ball

No matter what happened

No judgment at all

Think back on all

That you can recall

The way that if felt

The way that it smelled

The greats things that you once could do

One day

You’ll be old

And weak and alone

You’ll no longer enjoy

The things that you’ve done

All that you’ll have

Is time to look back

On the things you did

The places you went

The adventures you had

The people you met

Your triumphs and failures

And everyday treasures

‘Cause in your waning years

Those old memories

Will seems more precious

Than ever before

Even the ones that haunted you then

Will seem special now

When you look back at them

And think 

You know, it wasn’t that bad

It wasn’t that bad at all!

And you will be glad

For all that you had

When you know in your heart

That it won’t be coming back

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

Creative Stew

Everything we create

Starts out in the mind

As something we see

Or hear, smell, or feel

But making it real

Bringing it out in the air

For others to share

Is a challenging task

When buried inside

Most ideas are chaotic

Whimsically organized

Mercurial and quixotic

A bubbling brew

Of well-meaning stew

That must be seasoned just right

Before we serve it to you

The viewer

The listener

The reader

The thinker

The wearer

The buyer

The taster

The drinker

That mysterious process

Is the suspension bridge

That every creative

Must build and then cross

The better we build it

The stronger we make it

The more we produce

And the less that gets lost

Mask Compliance

Do people who refuse to wear masks also refuse to use toilet paper? If you’re going to spread disease, why not do it from both ends?

Let ‘er Rip!

I used to work with a guy who was knowledgeable and quick thinking, but not particularly cautious. Whenever we planned a change to one of our computer systems, he would blurt out, “That’s easy! You just have to...” followed by whatever idea popped into his head immediately.

The guy’s proposals were generally sound, but his rushed conclusions didn’t inspire confidence. He wasn’t good at thinking about what could go wrong or what might be impacted by a change. He rarely suggested a method for verifying that things would work as expected or a blackout plan if things went awry.

We realized quickly that his off the cuff solutions were merely a starting point for our planning process. He was a subject matter expert and we had to depend on his insights, but we knew that we had to think things through rather than counting on his word that everything would be alright.

 As a team, we would discuss the process in detail, identify all known impacts and contingencies, and in the process build a detailed, step by step plan that listed every task, who would do it, who would verify it, how the handoffs would be managed, and how we would back out if necessary.

Writing the plan was usually my job. In addition to being deliberate and detail oriented, I’m highly pessimistic when computers are involved. I don’t believe that something is going to work until I see it demonstrated.

The final version of the plan was always more intricate than the guy’s proposed solution.

As a team, we always managed to get the job done, but it was never as “easy” or “simple” as this guy would have had us believe. It always took a skilled team to make it happen, and their actions had to be carefully coordinated.

The guy never learned from this process. He never developed the discipline of thinking through problems carefully. The next time we needed to resolve a problem, he’d blurt out another quickly hatched solution. Luckily, over time, we stopped trusting his judgment.

We even came up with a nickname for the guy. We used to call him “Let ‘er Rip!” as in “why don’t you ask Let ‘er Rip how he would do it?” or “give that project to Let ‘er Rip, and he’ll have it done in five minutes.” It was a good reminder to avoid letting the guy do anything hands on before first talking through the details.

Sneaky Little Man

Walking through the park

I saw a sneaky little man

With his sneaky little camera

And his sneaky stocking cap

Standing motionless

Remaining anonymous

Trying to be invisible

But I saw him -

I always see them -

So I stood and waited

For him to take his shots

I took time to clear my nose

Some gross repulsive snots

With that noise he noticed me

And motioning politely

Suggested that I might pass

But I didn't budge

I thought, "No way, dick!

As soon as I pass

You'll take a click

And I'm not in the mood

To play that game

Today or any day"

Determined to stay

I stood my ground

Until he got mad

And stomped away

I shook my head and mused

“There must be a full moon today!”

Dream Big And Execute Small

Dream big and execute small.

Maybe you dream of directing a movie. You know that you can do it. You have a unique vision and a compelling story to tell, but nobody wants to put up the funding that you would need in order to produce a full-length film.

You can sit around grumbling and cursing about how unfair the world is and how your big opportunity is slipping by. You can spend your time schmoozing with insiders and hoping that someone will invest in you because you’re fun to hang out with. Or you can get busy by doing what you can accomplish now.

Make short films. Make a music video for a local group. Collaborate with other aspiring creatives who have the skills that you don’t possess.

If that’s too adventurous for where you are right now, invite some friends over and make funny videos using your cell phones. Do whatever you can to show the world that you have something special to offer.

Every project that you complete, large or small, will enhance your skill set, add to your résumé, and most importantly, increase your confidence. If the videos that you make with your friends grab attention, you’ll build a fan following. If your short films are inspired, they’ll get noticed by people who can help you move up to the next level.

Keep working. Keep striving to do better. As you improve, your luck improves.

Nothing good is going to happen if you sit around feeling sorry for yourself. Nothing’s going to happen while you waste time entertaining industry contacts who are happy to drink on your dime but don’t give a crap about you and your artistic vision, nothing except you ending up feeling used and demoralized.

Be proactive If you want to get somewhere, make things happen. The best way to make things happen by working within the limits of what you can do today, right now, not in some future dreamland where you have unlimited skills and resources.

Dream big and execute small. Get started today. Do what you can do right now.

Needs Of The Heart

Happiness is doing what your heart needs to do.

Honesty is expressing what your heart needs to say.

Romance is requesting what your heart needs to feel.

Love is helping someone else find what they need.

Prepare To Be Impressed

Some years ago, a crew of workers dug up the streets around my office to replace underground pipes and wires. The same crew worked every day; I saw them when I went out for lunch or a smoothie.

The backhoe operator was particularly impressive. Day after day, I marveled as this powerful machine picked up and moved a variety of objects with remarkable precision.

Nudge a large metal plate two inches to the left? Easy!

Lower a bundle of pipes delicately into a trench where workers were standing? Piece of cake!

I had never seen heavy equipment operated so skillfully.

You might be interested to know that the operator of this machine, the person who guided it with such amazing expertise and accuracy, was a woman. I don’t know where she got her training, but her skills were phenomenal.

Hire a woman for the job, then stand back and prepare to be impressed.

Boredom

Boredom signals that your usual routine is no longer satisfying. You crave something new. What are you going to try next?

Fake It Until You Make It

A motivational speaker urged his audience to “fake it until you make it.” He said that before you can land a big opportunity, you have to look, talk, and act like you belong in that role. If you can to this convincingly, people will take you seriously and offer you chances to prove yourself.

I decided that he was probably right. For instance, if you want to be funny, but you’re not, it might help if you try to look funny. If you can get people to laugh when they see you coming down the street, you’ll know that you’re well on your way to success.

Delays In Transition

It’s clear to anyone who’s been paying attention that Mr. Trump will do just about anything to hold onto the presidency.

- For months, he made vague and unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud.

- Since Election Day, he and his surrogates have claimed that the election was stolen.

- His legal team filed dozens of lawsuits. Each was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

- His surrogates pushed conspiracy theories in outrageous press conferences.

- He has attempted to convince local and state officials to delay certification of election results.

- He has tried to convince state legislatures to ignore the voters and appoint loyal electors.

Whether this strategy ultimately succeeds, it’s dangerous in several ways.

American elections have never been perfect, but for centuries they have served as the global standard for representative democracy. It’s a standard that much of the world tried to emulate and unscrupulous authoritarians tried to avoid. It’s going to be difficult for the US to promote democracy abroad now that they world has witnessed such a blatantly undemocratic power grab occurring within our own electoral system.

Here in the US, Mr. Trump’s win at all costs strategy has weakened our democratic institutions and has set a precedent that power-hungry politicians could leverage in attempts to undermine future elections.

But the delays that have resulted from Mr. Trump’s challenges don’t just set a dangerous precedent. They represented a clear and present danger to our national security as the Biden team has been blocked from receiving critical security briefings. Further, these politicsl delays will ultimately impact the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines which the Biden Administration will ultimately deliver.

Perhaps the most astonishing revelation is that Mr. Trump doesn’t seem to have any interest in performing the responsibilities of the position that he so desperately wants to retain. He’s not managing the pandemic. He’s not urging Congress to provide financial relief to citizens and businesses (or municipalities) that could keep them going during the months that it will take to distribute the vaccine. He’s not helping to secure the production of tests or personal protective equipment for medical professionals. All he seems to want to do with his time is golf and watch television. 

Mr. Trump, you can do those things as a private citizen. It’s time to get out of the way and let the country move forward.

Advice From An Old Farmer

I had a flashback to a memory from my early teens. My Mom and I had driven to a local farm to buy some hay. Mom had a few horses in those days; we were constantly buying hay to keep up with their healthy appetites.

After we loaded the hay into our pickup truck, the farmer chatted with Mom for a few minutes, and then he turned to me. He said that he wanted to offer me some advice.

I remember the moment clearly because it was so unusual. The farmer wasn’t a big man. He was no taller than I was at the time, and I wasn’t fully grown. He had a kind, round face and twinkling eyes. He was balding, and the hair that he did have was cut quite short. He wore blue jean overalls as most men of his profession did in those days. He was about fifty, but to me he seemed ancient. One of his teeth was out of line with the rest.

“You’re going to reach a point where you’ll have to decide whether to be a boy or a man. My advice to you is to stay a boy for as long as you can.”

“Okay, I’ll try,” I said awkwardly. I really didn’t understand what he meant, but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful by asking him to clarify.

I thought about his words quite often in the coming years and months. The whole incident seemed so surprising; I really didn’t know what to make of it.

The farmer’s words seemed to suggest that I continue to cherish the things that I had held dear as a child: games, toys, light-hearted entertainment, and joyful family interactions. I didn’t feel that advice was particularly valuable given that I’m already a sentimental person. I try to stay in touch with my past and appreciate the most innocent of pleasures.

Thinking back on his words all these years later, now that I am older than the farmer was when he offered his advice, I believe that I finally understand what he was trying to tell me.

“Before you take on responsibilities that will determine your future, before you make commitments that will limit what you can do and where you can go, see the world and sample what it has to offer.

“You’re only young once. Enjoy the freedom that youth affords. Go places. Try things. Take risks and have adventures. If you don’t, if you skip this important time in your life, you’ll regret missing out on those pleasures and those adventures. If you make big decisions before you understand all of what life has to offer, you might end up in a place where you really don’t want to be.”

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

New York Minute 180 - Sanitation Unmasked

While I was out for a jog one morning last week, there was a moment when two garbage trucks stopped on my block at the same time. One truck was picking up recyclables while the other collected trash.

As I jogged past, I saw several sanitation workers in action. Each worker was African American, and none of them were particularly young. They looked to be in their forties or early fifties.

Another way to interpret this is that these workers belong to a demographic group that has been disproportionately susceptible to the most severe impacts of Covid-19.

And yet, not one of them wore a mask.

If I had to handle one family’s trash, I would take extraordinary steps to protect myself. These folks were out there collecting residential refuse from hundreds of households. Aside from wearing gloves, they seemed to throw caution to the wind.

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

Election Conspiracy Allegations

If there really was a widespread conspiracy to change votes or submit fraudulent ballots in the 2020 US election, how is it that Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell were won re-election easily? Why were Susan Collins, Joni Ernst, and Thom Tillis re-elected despite the fact that all of them trailed in the polls for months? Why didn’t the alleged conspiracy hand Mr. Biden a win in Florida, or even Texas, victories that would have put the election far out of reach for Mr. Trump?

New York Minute 179 - Strange Comment

On my way to the post office one afternoon, I passed a middle-aged lady sitting alone in front of a large apartment building. She was wearing the uniform of a domestic worker; I guessed that she might have been the maid of someone who lived in the building. She’d probably stepped outside to enjoy a short break from work.

As I walked past the lady, when I was directly in front of her in fact, she said something in a loud voice. It was one of those awkward moments when you don’t know whether the person is speaking to you or to someone on phone. I ignored her comment and kept walking.

Several paces down the sidewalk, I glanced back discreetly. The lady had indeed been talking to someone on her phone. I was relieved, because her comment was rather personal.

“I like women, and I just want someone to take care of me.”

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

Good Problems

View a goal as a series of problems to overcome, and then get to work on solving them one by one.

True To Yourself

Being true to yourself doesn’t mean resisting change or remaining stationary. It means taking on new challenges, enhancing and sharpening your unique abilities, and developing skills that will help you to shape your future.

Positive Reinforcement

Do something that makes you happy today.

Listen to music that you enjoy.

Watch, read, or listen to something that makes you laugh.

Pay someone a genuine compliment.

Call someone and tell them that you’ve been thinking about them.

Treat yourself to some light exercise.

Dance around the room.

Sing in the shower.

Curl up with a good book.

Make a list of things that you want to accomplish.

Dream of a big vacation.

Think of a way that you could volunteer your time for a positive cause.

Think of the silliest thing that’s every happened to you and have a good laugh about it.

Remember a person who inspired you and think about what you learned from them.

Do a good deed just because you can.

Love After Marriage

A lover adores you 

Wants to see more of you 

Dreams of being together 

And hates when you’re away 

A spouse wants you out of the house 

About as much as they want you around 

Yet they won’t approve 

Of cutting you loose 

And frown on the idea 

Of you running around town

Which one is better 

The spouse or the lover? 

Well, that’s hard to say 

Whichever you choose 

Sometimes you’ll win 

And sometimes you’ll lose 

It’s like dealing with fickle weather 

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved

Viral Gambit

President Trump would have won re-election easily if he had taken early and decisive action on the pandemic, if he had looked into the camera and said, “America, we are facing a big problem, but together, we will get through this. My administration will ensure that our doctors and hospitals have the tools that they need to fight the pandemic: masks, face shields, protective clothing, supplies. We will set up a testing and tracing program that will be the envy of the world. We will do everything in our power to limit transmission of the virus until safe vaccines have been developed and distributed, and we will work with Congress to ensure that businesses and individuals have the financial resources that they need to get by until this crisis is over.”

If he had done that, then despite his failings, despite his divisive rhetoric, his questionable policy decisions, and his autocratic tendencies, Mr. Trump would have been viewed as a heroic figure in American politics.

But he didn’t do that. Instead, he succumbed to fear.

He was concerned that an economic slowdown would hurt his chances of re-election. Instead of addressing the problems proactively, he went in the other direction.

He claimed that the virus would “magically go away” (his own words). He ignored the problem and encouraged unrealistic expectations. But it was not simply a policy of avoidance. Mr. Trump actively exacerbated the situation by refusing implement a national strategy. This created chaos and bidding wars as states fought over the acquisition of critical supplies. Lack of national testing standards made it impossible to keep the virus from spreading between regions. 

He criticized people for wearing masks. He criticized any and all attempts to keep people separated, instead urging business and schools and churches to “open up” when it was unsafe to do so. He demonized anyone, including renowned infections disease experts, who spoke openly about how bad the situation was getting and urged changes in policy. 

He turned daily White House briefings into useless sideshows. He claimed to have made arrangements companies to provide testing and other support, but those empty promises never came to fruition. He refused to provide funding to reimburse the states for the massive expenditures that fighting the pandemic demanded.

He held in-person campaign rallies and political events at the White House where few of his supporters took precautions such as wearing masks or maintaining a safe distance from others.

In the process, a quarter or a million American citizens lost their lives. Another quarter million could die before Mr. Biden’s administration has a chance to take corrective action. 

Last week, five million American voters said, “Enough is enough. It’s time for a change.”

Decency Has Returned

Decency has returned, and it feels like a huge relief. Mr. Biden will not demonize red states, Republicans in Congress, cities run by Republicans, immigrants, allies, poor countries, or even Democrats who disagree with him. He will not threaten to imprison political rivals. He will not claim that the news is fake or that the press is “the enemy of the people.” Those days are over. The way forward will not be easy, but at least we have a chance to focus on policy instead of contempt for our neighbors.

Philly Attitude - Part 2

Philly be like, “We wrote that Constitution, bitch! Got the bell to prove it!”

Philly Attitude

I’ll never forget the day when the Mayor of Philadelphia told the President of the United States to “put on his big boy pants.”

Yes, that happened. You’ve got to love the Philly attitude. They don’t hold back.

Dormant Desires

In everyone’s heart 

Lie dormant desires 

Waiting 

Yearning 

For some kind of spark 

To end their sleep 

Rekindle their fire 

And leave them feeling inspired 

Like when a song 

Comes along 

And you just want to dance 

Like the warmth of a smile 

That hints at romance 

Or a walk through a field 

Of flowers in spring 

Hinting of simpler times 

And things 

That brought us joy 

And get us to realize 

That we’d be much better off 

If we spent more hours outside 

Like the face of a puppy 

Precious and sweet 

Seeking a friend 

And maybe a treat 

You look at that face 

And you must pick him up 

Hold him 

And give his soft coat a brush 

You smile and you blush 

When you realize 

That you’ve rediscover 

The magic of purest love 

Don’t hide your desires 

Away in the dark 

Don’t let them be overshadowed 

By the demands of time 

If there’s time enough 

To toil and heave 

There’s time enough 

To relax and breathe 

To enjoy this life 

This spectacular life 

And the magical gifts 

It provides 

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved

Election Suspense

It feels like waiting for the jury to decide whether you’ll go free or spend the next four years in prison.

Deeply Divided

Regardless of how things turn out when all of the votes are counted, we have to acknowledge is that this country is deeply divided. Half of our neighbors view the world very differently than we do. This leaves us with two choices. Either we figure out how to work together for the good of everyone despite our differences, or we continue to escalate the division and the tribalism that has plagued us in recent years until we distrust each other completely, until we view those who do not share our values with utter contempt. The inclusive American society that we took for granted is slipping away, and I don’t know how we’re going to get it back.

Intervention

Okay, USA, consider this an intervention. Either pull yourself up by your bootstraps or check into rehab. If you keep going down this path, things are going to get worse, and no one wants to see you do more harm to yourself.

Foolish Thoughts

We all have some clever thoughts 

And foolish ones as well 

Taste is the good sense 

To keep the foolish to ourselves 

But occasionally a foolish thought 

Is cleverness in disguise

With confidence we might convince 

The skeptics that it’s wise

A Ride To The Airport

A Trump voter and a Biden voter agree to share a taxi to the airport. As they’re driving down the highway, they notice that a rattlesnake is coiled up on the floor of the cab.

Biden Voter: Driver, pull over! There’s snake in the car!

Trump Voter: Don’t listen to him! Keep going.

The driver glances back at the two of them in the review view mirror, shakes his head, and continues on.

BV: What are you doing?

TV: What do you mean what am I doing? I’m trying to get us to the airport. We’re running late.

BV: Yeah, but there’s a frickin’ rattlesnake in the car!

TV: He hasn’t bothered anybody yet.

BV: Look, why don’t we just pull over, get the snake out of the car, and then we can drive safely to the airport.

TV: How do you proposed that we get it out of the car?

BV: I don’t know. We’ll figure something out.

TV: And in the meantime, I’ll miss my flight. No, thank you! I can’t afford to stop.

BV: What if it bites us?

TV: Then maybe we’ll die, but probably we won’t.

BV: You’re actually willing to take that risk?

TV: How bad can it be? I’ve been bitten by a dog before?

BV: A snakebite is a lot more dangerous than a dog bite!

TV: Do you actually know anybody who’s been killed by a snake?

BV: That’s beside the point. Even if the snakebite doesn’t kill you, it can do a lot of harm.

TV: People get killed by dogs, too.

BV: I understand that, but a snake’s bite is still worse.

TV: Fake news! Doctors just say that because they get more money for treating a snakebite!

BV: Wow! I can’t believe that you would say something so blatantly ridiculous.

TV: And I can’t believe that you want me to miss my plane.

BV: I don’t want you to miss your plane. I want us both to arrive at the airport safely.

TV: Your plan will take too much time. I can’t afford any delays.

The Biden voter looks down and notices that the Trump voter has removed his shoes.

BV: Why are you in bare feet?

TV: Airport security makes you take your shoes off. I’m trying to save time.

BV: Yeah, but you’re not at airport security yet. You’re riding around in a taxi with a rattlesnake. If we hit a pothole, he could get spooked and strike your big toe.

TV: I have a right to go barefoot. You can’t infringe on my rights by telling me to wear shoes.

BV: It’s for your own good. If you get bitten, you’re going to miss your flight anyway. You’ll have to go to the hospital. This whole macho attitude isn’t working in your favor.

TV: Typical Socialist! You want to take everyone’s freedom away in the name of it being good for us. Well, I don’t want to live in a “mommie” state.

BV: I am not a socialist, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t care about my neighbor’s wellbeing.

TV: Well, if Biden wins, I’m sure that he’ll force everyone to wear shoes. That’s why I’m voting for Trump. I believe in freedom.

BV: Fine. But if the snake bites me, you’re going to pay my hospital bill.

TV: Typical. You just want someone else to pay your way because you couldn’t take care of yourself.

BV: It’s not because I can’t take care of myself. I proposed a solution to this problem. You’re the one who chose to ignore it and prolong a dangerous situation needlessly.

TV: Well, I can’t afford to put my life on hold. We need to keep going.