My Octopus Teacher

“What she taught me was to feel that you’re part of
this place, not a visitor. That’s a huge difference.”
—Craig Foster

If only I could fit the whole world in here…

Very Well

It is all very well
To wish for the unraveling of the world—
The human world, I mean
Not the earth itself, which is too rare and too close to perfect
But humanity
That mixed blessing, at best, even to itself
That scourge of greed and violence and the rest of it
Of countless atrocities heaped over centuries
Threatening at any moment to finally bury the soul

To wish, then, that humanity would dissolve
Unspool
Melt back into the universe
Sooner rather than later, that is

But I would also like to say
Want to be sure to say
That I am happy
Grateful, even,
That it came together
For a moment
As you.

“…and afterward many are [beautiful] at the broken places.”

“Potholes in sidewalks tell stories perfection will never know.”

—Emenem, the guerrilla artist filling Europe’s potholes with colourful mosaics

Play

“It’s just a game, love. Just a game.”

—from The Thomas Crown Affair

Body vs. Taste Buds (Round 2)

I’m happy to say that my go-to smoothie/health shake has evolved quite a bit since 2017, based on a recent high-cholesterol reading (now dramatically lowered) and a deep dive into what constitutes true nutrition. Current ingredients:

1. Soy Milk (8 oz)
2. Protein Powder (vegan) (22g)
3. Amla powder (1/4 tsp)
4. Flax seed (ground, 1 Tbsp)
5. Turmeric (dash)
6. Black pepper (dash) (apparently needed to “activate” the turmeric)
7. Cardamom or ginger (dash)
8. Baby beet (1)
9. Frozen kale (4 cubes)
10. Broccoli (1 floret)
11. Frozen cherries (8)
12. Psyllium husk powder (2 tsps)
13. Water (about 4 ounces)

(And, no, it still doesn’t taste as good as a cupcake—not even a vegan one.)

Mind. Pried. Open.

The Price of Freedom

Start anywhere

INT. YODA’S HUT – DUSK

          YODA
He is too old. Yes, too old to begin
the training.

          LUKE
But I’ve learned so much.

—from The Empire Strikes Back, written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan

“Everyone else is already taken.”

INT. STUDY – DAY

          STANFORD BACH THE UNIVERSE
Congratulations to you, Arthur T. You’re
going to be a wealthy man yourself for
the rest of your life.

          ARTHUR T
That’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.

—(with apologies to Arthur (1981), written by Steve Gordon)