60 degrees farenheit

They say its going to be
60 degrees Farenheit today

The geese were loud this morning,
barking
in the sky
gliding past
the apartment

It was a long winter

Atrophy of muscular structure
change in molecular makeup
We let it happen

It was a quiet winter

Here we watched
While we toiled

It was a revolting winter

30 years
of enduring
the silent daily betrayals
erupted into
the small flames
of a fruit seller
those flames had children
spewing
their pains across
dialect
and terrain

It was a cold winter
We went in
and what we saw
was not enough
not okay

what if

what if you got so used to
your hiding place
you forgot
that you were hiding

How Far Do You Have to GO

Before you are certain you are smart, successful, good, worthy?

Is it the journey you love?
Or Is the finish line you are waiting for. The linesman there, telling you:
NOW YOU ARE ALLOWED TO STOP
STOP
ST
S

The Grown Up Good Decade

Commences.

We all went into debt, traveled the world, ate overpriced dinners, indulged our egos on twitter, bought energy inefficient everything, and ignored our neighbors. Now that all of that is out of our system, now that we made our mistakes...we can spend time being responsible for our actions, thinking through what we do and why, and make some good in our communities.

I'm an optimist.

Top worst & best things of the last decade (in draft)

The fear driven decade.

1.Taliban destroying of the Buddhas in Bamiyan March 2001
2. Dramatic display of individualism and progress phobia: Bush's anti-choice policies, anti-gay marriage groups, tea party, Sarah Palin and friends.
3. Dramatic rise of a purpose-less and self-obsessed society driven by consumerism, material gain and immediate gratification.
4. Climate change impact and denial.
5. Two wars driven by fear rather than threat.

The underlying secretly good stuff going on

1. Obama elected to presidency bc he is calm, thoughtful, innovative, evidence-based and dedicated.
2. A national meditation on what a good economy is, what a good society is, and what a good government is.
3. Advancement in what we are allowed to be as individuals.
4. More democracies.
5. An emphasis on a need for a common purpose and communal sensibility in society.

When you are good, like good through and through, you don't have mean thoughts about people, you don't really want ill will for anyone, you don't manipulate, or strategize against anyone, you don't go after what you want only, you constantly think about the right thing, the best thing, the good thing it may not be popular, nor please people, but it is the right thing. You trust people, bc you trust yourself. You trust people bc what you feel is safety. When you are like that, its hard to understand people that aren't like that. People that take advantage of others, use others, manipulate others. It's hard to imagine people that can do that, or why.

Mistakes Cost As Much As the Value they bring you

If you drop 100K into a partnership that failed, you will most likely learn A LOT from that mistake. Enough to last you a lifetime. Enough information and wisdom will come out of that mistake to make you very prepared for your next business.

If you drop 4K on an expert that failed you you will know about 4000 ways how you need experts to work, what EXACT kind of expertise you need and how to choose one in the future.

If you drop 50K on a system that ends up being crap for your needs, you will know 50k worth of how to pick a system, build it, and use it.

The truth is that the more is at stake, the more learned.*

So don't be scurred.

* BIG FAT CAVEAT: YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY HAVE COURAGE TO REFLECT ON YOUR MISTAKES FOR THIS TO ACTUALLY WORK.