Life is hard.

When I complained once that “life is hard,” to a Buddhist friend, he replied, “Compared to what?”

He had a point. And that perspective has helped me a great deal in the last several years, especially recently. But no matter how many Taoist truisms or positive affirmations or sincere compliments from friends you get, there are some days when it seems the only possible human reaction is to say, out loud (but to one’s self), “To hell with it.”

Which I did. I’m going to go to bed early and just hope tomorrow is better, but today was an unexpectedly troubled one. . And I don’t mean to be my typically stupidly coy self by not elaborating…I’m just not sure what to say. But damn.

And also, to hell with it.

N.P.: “Ramalama (Bang Bang)” – Roisin Murphy

Pardon the interuption.

Unexpected Gifts

I was toiling away at the writing tonight when I had such a good idea that I actually stood up and took a bow. It was an absolutely sincere bow for an absolutely brilliant idea, but there was no one around to appreciate it. I do suspect that in several somewheres, several people suddenly smiled but couldn’t tell you why if you asked them. But I know why.
So now I’m here, feeling like taking another bow, so here goes:
::bows::
Thank you.
Thou shalt now rocketh on.

N.P.: “We Are Done” – The Madden Brothers

my ticket

Vidi, vici, veni.
Writing late, nothing great, no way to discombobulate. Sunrise gets earlier and earlier.

N.P.: Everyone is Everyone (and Everything is Everything) – Au4

O while I live to be the ruler of life, not a slave,
To meet life as a powerful conqueror,
No fumes, no ennui, no more complaints or scornful criticisms,
To these proud laws of the air, the water and the ground, proving
my interior soul impregnable,
And nothing exterior shall ever take command of me.

O to struggle against great odds, to meet enemies undaunted!
To be entirely alone with them, to find how much one can stand!
To look strife, torture, prison, popular odium, face to face!
To mount the scaffold, to advance to the muzzles of guns with
perfect nonchalance!

~ Walt Whitman

The Wisdom.

“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery – isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.”

~ Charles Bukowski, Factotum