For What It’s Worth, I Wish It Had Turned Out Well Too

It’s as heartening to see a history student so invested in a lesson that you can tell they’re thinking, “I hope this turns out well!” as it is disheartening to be the teacher knowing full well that it doesn’t.

A Brief Review Of The Symphony Of My Soul Of Late

Too many notes, not enough silence between the notes.

She Was So Happy She Got One That She Included A Fist Pump With Her “Yes!”

My son and I are currently studying (to use the vernacular) “Eastern” history and culture, and an especially patriarchal period of one culture had a list of seven reasons when a daughter-in-law or wife could be disowned. (I’m not calling this culture out by name because many, many cultures all around our globe throughout history have had similar attitudes, albeit not always quite so specifically stated.) Before hearing the list, I turned to my son and facetiously asked him how many of those reasons he thought might apply to his mother (who is a very independent person).

He wisely declined to answer, but when I told his mother this, her response was a hopeful, “Did I get all seven?”

“No,” I had to tell her. “I’m sure you would disobey your parents-in-law if you felt the need, but they’ve never ordered you to do anything, so that’s never come up. You’ve borne a male heir and you’re one of the least jealous people I know, so neither of those apply, and neither do adultery, stealing, or having an incurable disease. ‘Talkative,’ on the other hand . . .”

Bye Definition

If you try to define yourself only by what you’re not, you’ll never define yourself.

Discretion Is The Better Part Of Hunger Too, It Seems

In the midst of the chaos of the approaching end of the school year, I heard our dog, Isa, yipping her “Hey!” bark from the family room. Curious, I stuck my head in because she usually only yips like that when she wants someone to open a door for her.

It turns out L. had dropped two pieces of cereal on the couch out of her reach, and while Isa is capable of jumping up on the couch, the floor in front of it is slick enough for her that she doesn’t like to make the attempt after some embarrassing nose-bonking failures.

So she was asking for help like the unapologetic chowhound that she is.

I Kind Of Wish I’d Known That Sooner

I think a sense of one’s duty is vital in any kind of successful life, but I can tell you from experience there comes a point where even the most fervent devotion to duty won’t be enough. That’s the point where love has to kick in if you’re going to stay on track.

Because That Gives Me A Benchmark Of What I’ve Already Forgiven AND How Far I Still Have To Go

Forgiveness is a process; I think that’s commonly acknowledged by this point (and if it’s not, it should be). It’s a process I struggle with sometimes, but it’s still a process, and one of the signs the process is working for me is when I get a clear feeling of what I’ll forgive last.

The Frog Has A Point

You can discern many things about the nature of a man by how he responds when things do not go his way.

– Hanyi, Wilde Life

So It’s A Pretty Big Part And Definitely THE Place To Start

While opinions differ on exactly how much of success is simply “showing up,” if you don’t show up, you can’t succeed.

And Even Then, Honestly, I’d Probably Accept The Offer To Escape The Authorities Instead

Let me start this by saying that I’m fine.

Really.

I’ve always had what might kindly be called a “brooding” personality, and while Socrates and I don’t exactly share a daimon, I’m pretty sure mine is on speaking terms with his.

The reason I bring this up is because I’ve been brooding a lot lately, and I may be talking about some of this in upcoming entries, and the last time I did that I ended up having to spend more time than I really felt should have been necessary explaining that, yes, I was fine, and, no, I wasn’t in danger of killing myself.

Put bluntly, while Socrates and I may not have as much in common as I might like, one thing we do have in common is that it would take something like a state mandated execution order to even get me to consider drinking hemlock.