“‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.” – Start Something That Matters. 

I’ve spent the last ten days in south east Asia and as I’ve commuted between countries and cities I’ve benefitted from audio books. I especially like that I can speed up the reading to 1.5 or even 2x if the narrator is especially slow. In so doing, I’ve “read” three books in as many at days. 

This is clearly aided by the fact that I’m on vacation and can lie around listening to books, but it maybe the new method that I use to tear through literature. 
This week alone I’ve read:

The New Better Off 

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families 

Nonviolent Communication 

Getting the Love You Want

Good morning, Vietnam. 
Watching the orange glow of the sun rise

Over the still

Ever dark Saigon River.
An orange hot-air balloon

Rising

With an empty 

Easily unseen basket 

Without earthly tethers.
An orange barge 

Already afloat on the tides of Saigon winds

Floating around the world

Pushing forward 

Slowly

The weight of the day

Towards the not too distant shores of tomorrow. 

I’ve (finally?) started an Instagram account at the behest of a few friends. I’m a little torn still between the liberties to compose and translate ideas using words as blocks and tools, and merely snapping photos of things. That felt lazy. Feels lazy less so now, but still. 

I posted a video of myself after calling in a fire yesterday, so I guess there is some content there. I enjoy the anonymity of a blog, but the tracking of my whereabouts and infusion of my person vs just my ideas or experiences, is something with which I will probably struggle for a while. First world problems. 

On Instagram, should you be inclined to “follow” me (off a cliff to be plunged into the gulf of self aggrandizement), I am Conchshellcrown. 

More to come..

A hail storm
A downpour
A thunderstorm of sound
Familiar voices looped

Blasting
Darkening
Suffocating
Drowning

Ear buds
The only outgrowth
Rootless in
Jammed into
Infertile soil

Blasting free petals
Tearing
Grinding to a pulp

Any independent thought budding
Trying to surface
Or any having breeched in an unguarded moment of quiet
Having the audacity to bloom

I’ve had, started, and half written so many posts from Trump to Comey to random events and occurrences of late that have felt about as half baked as this world. 

I just finished a four month long project which is a relief. I also just did some dishes and push-ups. Another kind of relief. 

I started reading a book called Mind Over Money. The New Better Off is up next most likely. I also need to finish A Curious Mind. 

I will buy tickets and plan three trips to the Caribbean and Asia over the next few months. 

I had a bday this week. My mother’s wish for me is that I find someone with whom I want to build this year. Loving mothers. 

I could go on; but everyone has a life that can be interesting, vapid, repetitive, routine, boring, inspiring, ambiguous, anxious, fulfilling, and aspirational. 

I spend time wondering what’s going on with other people. Those who don’t blog or bloom, or share their thoughts with me.

The only reason that people don’t think that Donald Trump could be President is arrogance. We are no more special than those who had to endure racist and bigoted administrations for generations in sequence; and really, not that long ago. Further, that’s to whatever extent we think they ever disappeared.

People also arrogantly presume that others think as they do, but statistically many of your friends, neighbors and colleagues are Trump supporters – even here in the North East. 
You might even be one, and I accept that. 

  
Disclosure: I didn’t note from which in the stack of magazines I’d taken this, but the more salient point is that it’s not my work. 

“The single most important thing in life is not to die. First, you stay alive. Then you can think about the future and evaluate risk.” – Tidjane Thiam in the Sept/Oct 2016 edition of Bloomberg Markets