I don’t know that this makes a good poem, but it did, I think, have therapeutic value. Know thyself. That’s what Socrates says, anyway. It’s a big job, it turns out. I am outside on a clear day; in woods, or by water, birdsong everywhere, music and good drink, with someonewho loves me, or inContinue reading “#522: An “Epic” Poem in Response to the Proust Questionnaire”
Category Archives: Self Reflection
On the Twenty-first Day of 2024: The Numbers, Again
Number of bicycle rides in 2024: 5 Number of walks I’ve taken: I wasn’t counting. Let’s estimate that I went for a walk with the dogs maybe 7 times in 21 days. Number of alcoholic beverages consumed: 0 Number of times I wanted a drink really bad but nevertheless resisted: 5 Number of dreams I’veContinue reading “On the Twenty-first Day of 2024: The Numbers, Again”
On the Fourteenth Day of 2024: OCD Record Collector
First of all, I needed to incorporate about twenty titles into the collection from the records I acquired from my big brothers who find themselves without turntables. Next, I had to reorder the collection to be in proper alphabetical order. If you look closely at the photo above, you might be able to see thatContinue reading “On the Fourteenth Day of 2024: OCD Record Collector”
On the Twelfth Night of 2024: Nietzsche and Saltburn, In That Order
It’s not very often that I do research in order to write a song lyric, but on Friday I find myself digging around in Nietzsche expressly for that purpose. I had written this song with my friend Adam for our Project MA album, and the words I wrote, inspired by a title Adam had givenContinue reading “On the Twelfth Night of 2024: Nietzsche and Saltburn, In That Order”
On the Eleventh Day of 2024: Coffee with a Friend
There are people that I meet, I have found, for whom I have an almost immediate affinity, people who exude an energy, an intelligence, or a sense of humor, or a welcoming presence that puts me at ease, that makes me feel seen, understood, and appreciated. I had coffee on Thursday with such an individual,Continue reading “On the Eleventh Day of 2024: Coffee with a Friend”
On the Tenth Day of 2024: Please Excuse Michael’s Absence
On the tenth day of 2024, after setting up a pattern of daily blogging, while admitting that he was not sure how long he could keep it up, Michael Jarmer Writer Guy neglected to post a blog entry. It appears that everyone survived the catastrophe. There were no angry comments, no demands for a fullContinue reading “On the Tenth Day of 2024: Please Excuse Michael’s Absence”
On the Ninth Day of 2024: Just Sit and Breathe
Sometimes meditation is difficult. You’d think it’d always be easy; after all, one just sits and breathes. Right? How hard can that be? Most of us do a lot of sitting. And all of us are breathing all the time. Here’s the thing–our breathing (for the most part) is not a conscious choice that weContinue reading “On the Ninth Day of 2024: Just Sit and Breathe”
On the Seventh Day of 2024: The Numbers
Consecutive days of meditation: 7. Number of walks taken with dogs: 3. Consecutive days of sitting meditation, on a cushion: 6. Consecutive days of walking meditation, with dogs: 1. Chances that walking meditation with dogs was more successful than sitting on a cushion without dogs: 0. Consecutive days of bicycling: 5. Cups of coffee consumedContinue reading “On the Seventh Day of 2024: The Numbers”
On the Sixth Day of 2024: The Creative Impulse, or What the Hell Am I Doing?
I must say that the sixth day of 2024 has been a rough one. I slept in a little bit longer than I usually do, then, diverging from my usual practice of hitting the cushion before doing anything electronically, other than calling up my meditation timer, I read a text message. Needless to say, myContinue reading “On the Sixth Day of 2024: The Creative Impulse, or What the Hell Am I Doing?”
On the Fifth Day of 2024: Meditation Method
I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching. Ralph Waldo Emerson Stuff coming out, stuff going in. I’m just a part of everything. Peter Gabriel My meditation practice, as I discovered it some twenty-three years ago now, has been to sit in silence, either alone or with a group. EvenContinue reading “On the Fifth Day of 2024: Meditation Method”
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