But I Don’t Care If You Believe Me Or Not

While a precise definition for “enlightenment” remains elusive, I can tell you that enlightenment is not indifference.

I Agree With The Sentiment, But It Doesn’t Help ME, At Least, Avoid Self-Judgement Or Regret

Always Do Your Best.  Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick.  Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

– Don Miguel Ruiz

My Ruminations Upon Me Having Being A “Talker” As A Child As I Now Contemplate My Son

Zeus, I was a sinner. I’ve never tried to deny it. But I didn’t sin every day. Why then do you punish me every day?

– Phineas, Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

I’m Kidding . . . Mostly

It’s an . . . “interesting” sensation to see the realization on your child’s face that you are doing something that is easily interruptible, then watch them make the decision to come back later when it’d be less convenient.

That’s Pretty Good Advice

Today’s Tip From My Son:

If you have a dog in your house, never step on anything brown without turning on the light first so you can see what it is.

I Shall Dub This “Alan’s Whetstone”

With all due respect to Hanlon’s Razor, after years of self-debate, I have finally concluded the Information Age requires me to add an addendum:

When online, however, never attribute to stupidity that which is adequately explained by trolling.

So Yeah . . . I Know

Okay . . . take two.

As I mentioned, I was traveling when the Stoneman Douglas shooting happened, but I certainly heard about it.  On the way back home I even got the chance to see where it happened, and the how of that is why I was extra angry.

Turnpike traffic was bad due to accidents, you see, so L’s Mother was using GPS to direct me to an alternate route.  Traffic was still slow and congested, but it was moving, so I was content right up until the point when L’s Mother said, “We’re coming up on Stoneman Douglas.”

Neither of us ever having taken this particular route before, I was perplexed.  “How could you possibly know that?” I asked her.

“Google is ‘helpfully’ marking it on the map with a big flashing red dot,” she sighed.

“What!?” I exclaimed.  “Why?”

“Because it’s in the news, I guess.”

That would have been bad enough, but at this point a nasty thought struck me.  Was the slowdown on this route because people were rubbernecking?

Now I don’t know that was the case, but I can confirm that you could see Stoneman Douglas from the road, and the slowdown ended the moment we were passed the building.

Let’s Try This Again Tomorrow

I really thought that by having an entire weekend to cool down that I’d be ready to elaborate on what I started talking about on Friday . . . but I was wrong.

But What I Was Thinking Was “You, Sir, Have A Not Rare Enough Gift For Understatement.”

Obviously I’ve been traveling the past few days.  While I was out someone asked me where I was from, and I (in general terms) answered.

“Oh,” he said seriously.  “Your area is having a bad time right now, I hear.”  (In reference to the latest school shooting.)

Because he was so sincere when he said that, “So I’ve heard,” is what I said.

Okay . . . Back

I am now once again in the land of electronic impulses, but it took me longer than anticipated to reach here, so I’ll talk to you tomorrow.