This Word We Wield – 21st August 2023

In my darkest hours of despair
I was thankful that you were there
You magnified joy through your lens
You are one of my closest friends

I’m careful how I wield this word
Sometimes I’ve embraced the absurd
Finding that words can be deceiving
Learned all about sadness and grieving

But you were the pulsebeat beneath
My task of living and my belief
As time saw me leaving friends behind
I take the lessons from all I find

Recreating friendships to maintain my health
My bestest friend has been myself


Today I’m feeling:

Calm and relaxed after an ab and chest session on waking. Spent all morning uploading blog entries, drinking coffee and figured some new work for my one-hour classes these next couple of days. Feeling good and positive.

Today I’m grateful for:

Justin Pearson interviewed John Reis on the Cult and Culture podcast talking about his music and friendship with singer Rick Froberg who passed away recently. His death didn’t hit me particularly as now more and more people I admire are passing away. The scary thing is that he was the same age as me and it was sudden and unexpected.

The best thing about today was:

My one-hour class that was so easy. I feel like I haven’t been to work at all. No fuss no bother, the kids did what I asked, they did it reasonably quietly and in time. It didn’t require much thought on their part but it sets something up nicely for their class tomorrow which will require some thought.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

I went to immigration and waited ten minutes until they were due back from lunch but then waited a further ten minutes before having to leave to go back to do my class. I’ll do it tomorrow after my first class. No wukkas.

Something I learned today?

I found out that after the half day that we have this coming Thursday, there will be another next Wednesday too, as it will be ‘art day’.  Also, it’s possible that students finish the semester on the 8th or 15th of September, which is only 3 or 4 more weeks! Awesome!

What have I learned from the passage of time?

I’ve learned much, remember less and as the quote today alludes to, also learned little. But that’s not going to stop me. I’m here to grow, I’m here to work, here to do my job of living.

Quote: The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. – Socrates

Relatively, of course. I mean, I know my name. 

I do dislike folks who talk as if they know everything, too sure of themselves that they only see what confirms their beliefs. It’s one of the reasons to ‘not read the comments’ – something I need to remind myself of more often.

So I am not one of these people who talks as if they know everything. Even of the things I know, I’m unsure. I was an ‘expert’ in IT for a bit, but now I am clueless. I used to make 100+ coffees a day as a barista, but now I don’t know if I could even make myself a half-decent cup. I was on top of the goings-on in the Chinese music scene and now I barely know anyone involved. 

Everything I knew before doesn’t matter now, meaning that in reality, it didn’t matter then either. 

It was just my interest. 

No one cares that I released the last two Trumans Water albums on CD because Trumans are not as well known as they were in the 90s and no one wants CDs these days. 

But I did that. That counts in my own tally of value at the end of the day.

I took this picture because Gui’s mum let Tokyo off her chain as she kept barking at the people in the garden who were cutting trees. When she got bored she came into the shop and lay down like this. Luckily no other customers came at this time.

Let me know your thoughts