Integrating into the future of possibility
Integrating into the future of possibility
I really have no problem telling people that I talk to myself, as a concept, it has a lot of benefits. If I need a second opinion, there’s no waiting, in fact I could open any question up to the floor and listen to a very lively debate. I’m good with that. Some people would wonder if I was showing symptoms of a dual or multi personality disorder. But I look at those various voices as representing the various components of my personality, the individual traits and interests coming forward to express their own peculiar needs and wants. Don’t look at it as a split personality but instead look at it as a multi-faceted gem. I’m definitely not a meat and potatoes kind of guy, preferring instead to a wide variety, an array, an enormous buffet of all of the variety of life. No single dish can satisfy and each and every dish even in small amounts adds to a spectacular bounty, each to be savored and enjoyed until such a time as an even more delightful dish is presented.
I think part of the problem here is me trying to figure out what the next great adventure will be. Or, what am I going to do when I grow up. It’s really a tough decision. I’ve spent the last 50 years blazing trails and riding through those fires, my ass is sore. I sincerely doubt that there is another 50 years ahead of me, and in part I’m actually grateful for that. I hope that I’ve trained and taught enough young ones to carry that load; I’m still available for refresher courses. There are so many things that interest me, that intrigue me, so many things that I still want to do and to explore and I’m bogged down with the concept that it has to be consistent with who I am and what I’ve been preaching for these last 50 years. I can’t escape that idea of “to thine on self be true”.
For me, there are so many things that would seem to be all individual concepts, but when you look at them they are fully intertwined. Bear with me, hold my beer we’re going for a ride.
I love plants, both outdoor as well as tropical. The pictures that I post on Facebook with the Good Morning heading are all from things that we are growing. They bring joy to me and I shared it, but I want to do more. Living with plants in your home is calming and soothing; it’s a reminder of a tranquil world, they give you the opportunity to escape and truly do represent our own individual pieces of Eden. And taking care of them requires an understanding of where they come from and what their individual environmental needs are. And from there, we begin to get an appreciation of our place in the world and how we relate to other living things.
Food. I love food. Not just the requisite 3 squares a day routine, but food. Fresh food, from the garden or if necessary from the grocery store. I love new and exciting ways to prepare it, new techniques, new recipes, new products and especially old ones rediscovered. I enjoy growing it, experimenting with it. I certainly enjoy tasting and eating. Food, an essential part of life, a concept that is on every human’s mind every day. All of the aspects of food excite me (except running a restaurant, those days are over). Finding new things to grow, finding ways to grow more efficiently, ways to deal with food waste and converting waste to improve the quality of soil that we grow food in. Growing abundantly with greater yields to feed more people, growing food that has flavor without poisoning the ground or the consumer. Pushing for Thanksgiving every day for every body. As a part of food, there’s candy, candy always creates a smile, and smiles are important, ask any dentist.
For me, the existence of art is part of what justifies the existence of man. Art in every form, whether it’s sculpting or painting, dragging a bow against the strings of a violin or dragging individual words around on paper or virtually, whether it’s the trained voice of a maestro or the nasal voice of a redheaded stranger, whether it’s the capture of the essence of life on a canvas or the challenge to look at a canvas and define life within its abstract guidance, whether it’s the craftsmanship of Stradivarius or the hand carved pieces of shell by some unknown primitive ancestor, it’s all art. It’s all reflections on who we are, it’s interpretations of what we can be, and it’s a guide for all of us to check our own conditions. There are times when these pieces speak to all of us individually and magically to speak to us in different ways with different interpretations, there is no Rosetta Stone for art. Artists bare their souls publicly so that we may gaze upon their creations and quietly examine our own souls and our relationship with the universe.
And all of these things come together, as a part of our human condition, and all of them conspire to improve that condition. But there’s more, and I’ve been reminded that brevity is also a virtue, and lord knows I wouldn’t want to befoul yet another of my virtues. Rest assured that while I rest with this post, I’m simply gathering strength to create a follow up to this one, as I proceed to detail what I’m going to do when I grow up.