Throughout the past several years, Thich Nhat Hahn’s Peace is Every Step has been there to pick me up when I get in ruts. As several of the past posts have demonstrated, I’m in one. The funny thing about this tiny book is that it clearly shows why simply breathing and smiling make you feel happier. Meanwhile, everything else you think is important or you worry about or get bored of or want more of – it always seems to fail. I’m no saint or monk, but the truth doesn’t care about what I am or you are. It’s just there. The truth is what is. I believe it is ontologically existent in the world and not simply a social idea. The reason? Because it is a relationship between objects, namely us humans and other humans/objects.

The trouble I have with this truth is that I fall so short of being peaceful all the time. I let myself and others down. I try to hard. And all I need to do is just let go and just be. It’s hard because I like to think I orchestrate my own life. But really, we are all tied together with each other and everything else in existence in what Thich calls “inter-being.” We are connected and dependent upon each other and everything.

Started this book today! Super excited about it because it has practical advise for making the world a better place. I’ll probably post something about it on my main blog though. Also, just got back from TN and looking forward to DiGiorno pizza

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I hate finding my own limitations. A lot of the time I think we humans imagine ourselves to be just like characters from fantasy. The only limitations placed on them is by the author. Maybe that’s why we get appalled with the god of their story mutilates them or weakens them. How can they do that to their creation?

But real life sucks and we would despise a perfect character – because we have no hope of obtaining that existence. We all yearn for utopia; we all know it’s impossible (those old enough, at least).

What would you think of yourself if you lacked the ability to feel pleasure? Nothing really brought any excitement to you. You just encountered all things in a narrow spectrum of pleasure. That’s what it’s like now for me. I think it’s partly from the medicine I’ve been on and partly from just growing older and colder. I don’t feel like a bad person, only a tired person with no escape rope. I see my future and it’s so plain. It’s better than negative, surely, but it’s also a reminder that I have limitations in my life.

Who would imagine a few hours of swimming could wear you out so bad? I am so sore.

But the kids all had fun and that’s the important part. We’re ordering pizza and I hope (once the kids get in bed) we adults can play some games.

Well I was on the road most of yesterday and completely forgot about this. I cleaned the car out before I left listening to this very interesting podcast:

Dr. Kleinfeld has some great insight into controlling violence, but the one that stood out the most for me was to give monetary relief to the middle class and motivate them to improve their own society. Of course, this isn’t always true, but Dr. Kleinfeld makes a good case for when it could be applied.

Search for it in your podcasts.

I’m currently listening through the Inheritance Cycle books (aka -Eragon). The pace is generally fast and enjoyable. Worth an Audible credit if you have one you would like to use.

Today felt like a whirlwind. Work lasted an extra 40 min to make sure everything was lined up for me being off until Tuesday. Then I went to a kettlebell class with my wife. I had no idea what I was doing. I mistakenly grabbed two 10kg bells instead of 10lbs! That was fun…. but it was overall a good work out and went by faster than I expected.

Then I played Minecraft with the kids on the Xbox One (well one of them was on an iPhone). Now it’s a late bedtime and we’ll hit the road in the morning.

I’m currently listening through the Inheritance Cycle books (aka -Eragon). The pace is generally fast and enjoyable. Worth an Audible credit if you have one you would like to use.

Today felt like a whirlwind. Work lasted an extra 40 min to make sure everything was lined up for me being off until Tuesday. Then I went to a kettlebell class with my wife. I had no idea what I was doing. I mistakenly grabbed two 10kg bells instead of 10lbs! That was fun…. but it was overall a good work out and went by faster than I expected.

Then I played Minecraft with the kids on the Xbox One (well one of them was on an iPhone). Now it’s a late bedtime and we’ll hit the road in the morning.

For all the negativity I’ve had this week, my go to song has been “I Promise” by Kayden. It’s catchy but not really symmetrical. So I wouldn’t say that it’s artistically the best, but it’s catchy, upbeat, and I like the message.

Another artist I found is Griffin Oscar…. this guy’s voice is unique and perfect in this song. I hope to see him go far too.

Is it okay to post screenshots of album covers? No idea right now. I’m sure someone will say something if it isn’t, but this is a plug for them so hopefully not.

It seems like the time allotted to just be free is so little that it is hard to decide what to do. Work takes up so much of my time and then I get home and either prepare dinner or clean up messes that I can’t even claim responsibility for. Once that’s done, I might have 30 min or an hour to myself if I’m lucky. But what else kind of life is even an option for me at this point? And so we all just take it.

Well, besides that depressing rant…. I figured out what it was in Harman’s work that bothered me. I think he makes a case for considering objects the way he does, but it’s a language game more than a true ontology. An object for Harman is something distinct from other objects by not being the totality of their effects nor the pieces that make up the object.

But really what he is saying simply results in an object merely being recognized by its relationships to its own identity and to the identity of other objects.

In other news, my stomach has killed me most of the day and I don’t know why. Eating and not eating have the same result. I need to be getting ready for a Tennessee trip this weekend too, but it’ll have to wait.