Atomic Habits author James Clear is crystal clear on carpe-ing the diem:
“The grooves of your daily routine become deeper and more established…” That’s a very polite way of saying you might be in a rut.
I like the solution from Mr. Clear (no relation to Mr. Clean) – don’t get into frantic mode, but rather look to eliminate some of that “busy work” to free up time for “deep work.”
So pitter, patter, let’s get at ‘er.
After all, as the band Rush said, “We’re only immortal for a limited time.”
The past couple of weeks have been kinda wacky. My social calendar — usually a barren wasteland — has been crammed chock full o’ gatherings:
A Cincinnati Public Library writer-in-residence event – because who wouldn’t want to hear Manuel Iris read beautiful poems like this one?
Then the monthly “Hoppy Hour” with my Xavier besties. We’ve gathered each month for the past three and a half years. Always a good time.
Then meeting up with an old radio buddy at the home of another music head.
Happy hour with my friend Mark, with whom I worked for 17 years until he retired last month.
A holiday party with some pickleball pals.
A Xavier basketball game with neighbors and two of my sons.
A pub crawl organized by one of my best friends from work. Because who wouldn’t want to hang out at a bar with this guy?
(True story: at the end of the evening, the Uber driver who came to take him home wasn’t familiar with Christmas Vacation characters and was a bit hesitant to give “Cousin Eddie” a ride.)
A “planning session” (read: happy hour) for a New Year’s Eve party with friends I met when our kids were in grade school together. (I can’t make the NYE party, but I can “plan” with the best of them!)
Last night was happy hour with a couple of ad agency pals.
Today is lunch with pickleballers, and happy hour with neighbors and friends.
My liver is going to go on strike (actually I didn’t drink at a few of these gatherings). And honestly there were days were I was tempted to skip out on the festivities. But I’d rather err on the side of going. Most of the folks I’m meeting up with are friends I haven’t seen in weeks or months. It’s crazy that everything gets crammed into the two-week window before Christmas, but seeing old friends (and meeting new co-workers on a pub crawl) is good for the soul.
I don’t need stuff. I just want connection. That’s the gift that keeps on giving. Keep your presents… and thanks a million for your presence.
First let’s hear from the brilliant singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams:
Everything is goin’ wrong It’s not right anymore We can’t seem to get along The way we did before Sun is hangin’ in the sky Sinkin’ low and so am I
Then let’s listen to journalist/author/environmentalist (and Sunday school teacher) Bill McKibben in this article about LNG.
“The good Lord was kind enough to hang a large ball of burning gas 93 million miles up in the sky. We now know how to make absolutely full use of it, so we should give up on energy from hell and substitute energy from heaven.”
Back to you, Lu:
How’m I gonna lose These big red sun blues? Big red sun, big red sun Big red sun blues
Now over to the International Energy Agency:
Let’s lose the blues and go green with that big red sun.
The pandemic may be over, but it created another scourge that’s spreading like wildfire in the business world: the superfluous “out” used with “share.”
“We’ll share out the PowerPoint deck after this meeting.”
“I can share my notes out with the rest of the team.”
Here, let me help you:
“We’ll share out the PowerPoint deck after this meeting.”
“I can share my notes out with the rest of the team.”
There, fixed them for you!
“Share” — in this sense — implies a distribution.
And there’s not a “share in”… right? So there’s no need for the “out.”
I don’t think I ever heard “share out” before the lockdown started. Maybe because everyone was cooped up IN their basement office, the “out” represented a desire to break down the new barriers… but hearing it is like nails on a chalkboard for me.
I won’t rest until “share out” has been eradicated. And the only known cure is raising awareness. If you hear someone using the term “share out”… ask them to restate the sentence without the “out.” (They’ll hate you for being a pedant, but such is the price we pay for better grammar.)
Remember, just “share” is enough…
(Unofficial spokesperson for the committee to stop the use of “share out”)
Now you can get it for $4 at the thrift store. ($3 if you are age 50 or older on “Senior Sundays”… no, I didn’t buy it.)
As you gird your loins (i.e. change from your sleep PJs to your work-from-home PJs) for some CyberMonday shopping, keep this ol’ CB radio in mind. And read this New York Times opinion piece from Yvon Chouinard, the guy who founded the Patagonia brand, before you click “buy now.”
Cheap products, made poorly and thrown away quickly, are killing people and the planet.
from the article linked above
Obsession with the latest tech gadgets drives open pit mining for precious minerals. Demand for rubber continues to decimate rainforests. Turning these and other raw materials into final products releases one-fifth of all carbon emissions.
From the article linked above
Cheap stuff will wind up in landfills. The latest technology will get relegated to the thrift store faster than you can say “new iPhone.”
“Breaker one-nine, you got your ears on? If you don’t need it, don’t buy it. Over.”
Kevin Sullivan on Life advice from a man who lived it: “A good one Damian. Bring our lens into focus after the long weekend or our long life journey.” Jul 7, 09:38
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