Each morning I wait for the various parts of my life to come together. This time of year it's remembering the first summer out of High School in '68. It's getting ready for another strenuous day of retirement. It's wondering about some things in Atlanta 1974. It's wondering how I need to quit drinking so many fraps at Starbucks. It's doing my morning exercise. It's wondering how to get out of this corner I've painted myself into. It's HELLO WORLD! How you doin? Time to go out and be somebody. It's not too late. May it all come together finally.

 

Working on mysteries without any clues is perplexing; working on mysteries with clues is worse when you can't put the pieces together.  I was supposed to do something today but for the life of me I can't remember what I am supposed to do.  My only clue is that I recall that I was supposed to do something today.   At least I did make the recall rather than forget completely.  Like Elvis, I'm all shook up.

 

I remember the time before cell phones.  No pinging or buzzing to interrupt.  You could sit and stare and only be disturbed by a present human voice.  You could sit and stare at will, you could finish a book in two days because you still had a mind accomplish that feat: no omnipresent screen to disturb or constantly distract. You could finish a meal alone else you had to actually to talk to, are you ready for this, a real live human being.  But I am getting too nostalgic.  Better stop before I get too emotional and carried away.

 The way I see it the primary benefit of a cell phone screen is to avoid paying attention or talking to a person in your presence whom you wish to avoid. For this purpose a cell phone screen works wonderfully.

 

Just made a business call this morning early ready to leave a message since as we know nobody answers the phone anymore-(Heaven forbid!) and someone actually answered the phone! What a great way to start my day!!! Feels like it's 1976 again!

Reimagining Fitzgerald and Frost

 In my younger and more callow years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

My father was right even though it never made much difference. Life was never a ladder I was trying to ascend, just a means to keep going. Two roads did I encounter frequently. The one I usually picked always seemed sufficient.

(My take on Fitzgerald with Robert Frost dropping by)

 I am tired of looking at people who only stare at their cell phones. I will NOT speak to you until you put it down. Turning it off would be even better. I am equally tired of fighting thru endless clicking to find something simple quickly on the internet. Finally, I know you're busy, but if you do not answer my call and force me to leave a message (because we both know you will not return my call), my regard for you vanishes. Got it?