All Who Pass Here

When good kids grow up to be good human beings, we refer to them as "naive" when they don't understand chicanery. The others, the ones who stole your lunch money, look on the empathetic as "suckers." They're pretty sure that you would have stolen their lunch money if you were as cunning and smart as they were.

Those are the ones who look for opportunity wherever they may find it. Religion has always been good for it. Politics, sales... you know the ones that seem to have been around forever.

Take something pure and add the term "business" to it, and Voila!- cue the vultures. You know, the music business, the art business, show business.

You don't have to remind me that the are good civil servants, sincere clergymen and so on, but you're gonna have to surprise me to show me a decent guy running a cryptocurrency company, a hedge fund or a health insurance company. Let's don't even talk about politicians.

Yeah, the world, as always, is populated with good guys, who sometimes do bad things, and bad guys, on whom you can depend on doing bad things.

Stick with love. It's your best bet and our last hope.

 

Poor People of Easton

If I ever use up all this good luck, I hope that I'm gracious enough to keep from complaining. The only dreams of mine that have not been fulfilled have to do with world peace and an end to suffering. At this point none of that would surprise me.

Why do some of us get more than our share?

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.

 

My Eyes Are Up Here

At this point I talk to make sure I'm still alive and I write to prove to myself that I'm not senile. I wore out my mantra decades ago. Doesn't matter much. My limited attention span barely slowed down for anything approaching meditation.

Oh, I'm aware that there are villains out there plotting the end of the world. I take comfort in knowing that there always have been. I'm also reassured knowing that they will all die, even if they don't think so. Fortunately, they seem to have their eye on Mars, not Dorset.

I wish for you the happiness that surrounds me. I've certainly never done anything to deserve this, but as my friend, Leo says, "Don't kiss a gift horse in the mouth."

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.

 

Clear As Mud

Why on earth would you ask someone else about heaven, the meaning of life, lottery numbers or anything else that doesn't have solid, factual particulars in the mix. What would lead you to believe that some other guy knew more about ghosts or happiness or the righteousness involved in some war or another than you do.

Now, you show me some guy who actually danced with a ghost or some lady who keeps predicting winning horses and I'll eat my hat. I'm guessing here that folks who go to school to be told the meaning of life are taught by folks like me who don't know the meaning of life. In fairness, I should point out that I don't believe there is a meaning to life. Well, I'm pretty sure we're here to enjoy ourselves and help all the other living things enjoy themselves, but I don't count that as much of a definition.

Memorize the Golden Rule and brake for critters. Anytime you're stumped with a moral dilemma, consider love as your first option. I believe that pretty much covers it for today.

 

How Big's The Wind, Mama

When the wind blows in Portland, the gods hide. I'm watching gazing balls and flower pots fly across the garden while listening to the best soundtrack to a monster movie ever. I would like to tell you that I'm getting used to it but I don't believe anybody ever does.

It's hard to accept a perfect existence. If it weren't for that pesky notion of mortality and news from the internet of suffering in so many places, I would surely be right there.

Now, if I were you, I wouldn't take advice from the likes of me. However, if you're feeling adventurous and freewheeling today, here's this-  Love hard. Love like there's no tomorrow. One day there won't be.

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.

 

Rattletrap Royal

 

It's time to convene every naughty thought that has ever used up space in the gyri and sulci of my used, if not well-used, brain. What has worrying about mundane, worldly events ever gotten me? We refer to such matters as "carpet samples" around here.

Nothing, that's what!

Like everyone else, I suppose, I've wasted time and energy worrying about what relatives would think. Job security. Admission to heaven.

Now, here I am with few relatives left and those few made up their minds about me a long time back. I don't really have a job. I mean I played rock'n'roll, for goodness sake. I don't believe in heaven. That is, I don't believe in any pearly gates opening to a glorious afterlife. 

This is heaven, this life I'm living. My mind's in the gutter and I'll only wear pants when I want to.

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.

Pass The Pilgrims, Please

The more the world falls apart, the more precious my corner of paradise feels. I suppose I could feel guilty. I'm good at that. 

Utopia was a concept that always felt right to me. I was naive to the extent that I never considered that it was all fantasy. I signed up for a college course, Idea of Utopia, that I assumed was going to give me the skills to start one or a map to find one. Turned out to be a literature course. I learned a little something of other clueless dreamers who stared out windows and prayed for peace.

Since then I've been exposed to the music business, worked for the government, and talked folks out of buying things that I was paid to sell. All I've missed, I suppose, is the military and the pulpit. I have my limits.

While I never threw in the towel, after this amount of time, I had given up any realistic hope of moving right into some place that I would consider a paradise. I'm used to hearing the folks in Key West tell me, "Oh you should have been here before the Navy," or friends who have gone now declare, "I wish you could have seen Davis Islands before the storm."

As usual for me, it's too late for bad luck. I've got my girls and I stumbled into paradise.

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.