Presence > Presents

by | Dec 22, 2023 | Deep Thoughts, Writing | 1 comment

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.

Word. Smith.

by | Nov 24, 2023 | Deep Thoughts, Music | 0 comments

Patti Smith, the punk rock poet priestess. She gets it.

27 little words that say so much. Gratitude. Beauty. Wisdom. Love. Peace.

Envisioning that world is a great start. Working toward it is even better. You have the power. I have the power. We have the power.

 I believe everything we dream
Can come to pass through our union
We can turn the world around
We can turn the earth’s revolution

Patti Smith

Now Be Thankful

by | Nov 22, 2023 | Deep Thoughts, Family | 0 comments

The contemplation above is from Seth Godin’s The Thanksgiving Reader.

It contains many more pearls of wisdom that could come in handy tomorrow.

The full PDF is here. Feast your eyes upon it before the feast.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Water, water, (not) everywhere

by | Nov 13, 2023 | Deep Thoughts, News | 0 comments

You may refuse to believe — or just ignore — the facts about global climate change. But that won’t change the fact that the world is changing, in ways that will affect all of us, sooner or later. (And the way we’re tracking, it’s going to be sooner.)

The Amazon, the planet’s air conditioner, is on the fritz.

In Mexico City, they’re imposing severe restrictions on water use because the reservoir is so low.

In an area of Spain, the reservoir has already dried up, and residents there have to get their water by truck.

Here’s the good news: if you’ve got $7 to spare, you can help save the planet.

You can install this gadget (Home Depot has one too) in about five minutes (it goes in between the pipe and the shower head). Push the button and the water flow slows to a trickle — but maintains your current water temperature — so you’re not wasting gallons of water while you’re shampooing, lathering up, shaving, etc. Push the button again and the regular flow resumes so you can rinse off. Easy-peasy.

It’s not as dramatic as this:

But it’s just as effective.

For a mere $7, you could easily save about 10 gallons of water every time you shower. You won’t just be saving water, you’ll be saving the planet. I’ll drink to that!

The Fame Game

by | Nov 9, 2023 | Deep Thoughts, Funny Business, News, Pop Culture | 0 comments

Folks who create comic strips for a living are funny.

But they can be deep thinkers too! And Dan Piraro, the man behind the Bizarro single-panel comic, an example of which is featured above, just published a very profound blog post about the “trap” of fame.

Matthew Perry’s passing prompted the piece, but Dan’s thoughts could — and do — apply to anyone with a modicum of fame.

To achieve lasting self-esteem and a feeling of belonging in the world, we need a more intimate connection with others than fan worship can provide.

The post is well worth reading. Even if you’re not “famous” by the usual standards, this thought rings true:

I began to realize the most valuable things in life are not wealth and fame but relationships and community. I started paying more attention to the 3-dimensional people in my life than the number of followers on my social media accounts and have found it a much more satisfying use of my energy.

Nailed it! Who needs the A-list when we’ve got 3-D friends?

See you in the funny papers!

The Present is a present.

by | Nov 3, 2023 | Deep Thoughts | 1 comment

If I’ve learned anything from my friend’s passing a month ago, it’s that it’s fine to “be here now” but it’s even better to “be thankful for being here now.”

The quote above is from Grateful Living. Subscribe to their “Word for the Day” emails and it’ll be easier to be grateful for each and every day. They also offer a six-week on-demand course called Grateful Grief: A Guide for Living with Loss.