New Morning Routine, The Problem with Parker, My Phone’s Decreasing Importance, Wisdom from Walt

“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”

— Walt Whitman

November 1st, welcome to the last two months of this unbelievable year. The election is in two days; I hope your guy wins, I do. Either way, life will continue. How many times have you heard, this is the most critical election in the history of humanity. An overused phrase, if every election is the most vital, none has a bearing on our lives.

So my morning routine is over; no longer do I get up, make coffee, get my gum, and sit and make soup. These days I rise, let out the dog, wait for her to do her business, and then when I can, I get coffee, gum, and grab my laptop. As of this moment, I’m sitting in my writing bean bag, my computer is in my lap, my coffee is to my right, and the dog is chewing a bone at my feed. I do have one complaint about this pup; she farts like a man. 

My Queen and I have a rule; we don’t fart around each other. It was an early established rule, yes farts are funny, but we don’t engage. Then Parker Van Halen shows up and begins lighting up the room. I think her fart count is about one an hour, and they seem to waft the entire house. If anyone out there has a cure for dog farts, please let me know.

We went to our friend Kris and Marzy’s house last night. They had a small gathering of neighbors and us. We met some fantastic people; there was great food, conversations, pool, darts, and a little vodka. Their daughter took on the bartender’s role, making our drinks and making sure we were having fun; Jess just graduated from college; she is a physicist. She did her thesis on something I do not recall nor understand. She’s uber-intelligent, it will be fun to watch her path of success, and yes, the young lady will be successful. 

We left about noon yesterday; we went to the tractor supply store, got our packages from UPS, and then headed to The Well for some lunch and live music. We sat with our friend John, ate from a food truck, and enjoyed one of our last warm days. We chatted with the locals; this is a special place full of amazing engaged people. 

My Queen is having some back issues, we’re getting old, her problem is her back, mine is my hearing, I can’t hear like I once did, I probably need hearing aids, but at 51, I’m holding out, I’ll play the “what?” guy for the next few years, but I’ll inevitably need some aids. The years and years of loud rock and roll did not do my ball ping, and hammer ear works well.

I am no longer attached to my phone. I think my social media cleanse might have something to do with a new approach. I don’t look at it often; if I get a text, my apple watch, let me know, same with a call. No longer is my phone attached to my hip; it’s usually more than 10 feet away. I feel a sense of freedom no longer engaged with the social media overlords; I’m free, praise the Lord, I am free. No chains are holding me. Sorry to quote my friends from Needtobreathe, but I feel a sense of release and freedom. Will we one day learn our phones are our enemy?

I’m into the human connection. I meet new people daily. This week we attended a large gathering, a fundraiser for a local school. We met a bunch of contemporary humans, all fun, loving, and engaging. Last night, we met more new folks, three new couples who lived in Kris’s hood, all fun, happy, well-centered folks who love life. I make it a mission to meet and engage with new folks. Am I alone in this journey? I don’t see others seeking out new faces, relying on their old standby’s to consume their time and place.

Meeting new people allows you to scrub those that are draining your energy. We all have friends that come in hot, they are amazing, but over time you begin to see their want of conflict and strife. Life is not about confrontation, worry, and concern. Life is about love, joy, and happiness, and if you can use those ingredients as the base for your daily life, you’ll fit in our tribe. If you choose anger, worry, and concern, we’ll see you down the road.

We will work around the house today, picking up some things, I’ll fold and put away laundry, I’ll sip more coffee, take the dog out, read my book, strum my guitar, a perfect day of rest. We will probably head down the hill and connect with some other humans. We’ll head back home and love each other, sipping some spirits and enjoying some crab soup, I picked up a new recipe yesterday, which looks delicious; I’ll be chef Anson this afternoon.

Are you where you want to be in life? Are you living your best version of YOU? I think I am where I am supposed to be. I could be wrong, but our experience on top of a mountain suits my Queen and me. We are in love; we have a unique bond; I’m the happiest man I know. How would someone not enjoying life respond to my happiness? Not well, I’m afraid, those in misery seem to get angry at those succeeding, enjoying the spoils of life, engaging with the world. But I pay no attention; I focus on the people in front of me, the distractors, the detractors, get none of my energy.

I am now of the mindset that life is about the people you chose to let into your life. If you allow caring and beautiful people in, your life will be a series of joy-filled events that leave you smiling each night before you lay down your head. If you choose hatefully, chaos laden folk, you will live a life of distress. I think it an excellent recommendation to eliminate one person in your life that is causing you pain; let them go; they are not adding to your life but sucking your mind dry of joy and happiness. I hope this soup feeds you; I hope your hunger you had before is gone. Go out, meet some new people, talk to strangers, and let go of those hurting your enjoyment of life.

“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”

— Walt Whitman