Error.  *beep*  Error. Even monkeys fall from trees. Get back on the horse. Daily Stoic: Making mistakes is bad, but also natural.  When I err, I must look back to first principles to find and correct my fault.  The principles are constant, never changing, though my understanding of them, and use of them in my life, shifts and fails. Time comes to right the ship, reset the sail, and try again. Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Music: Edward Elgar, Symphony no.2 Op.63, Larghetto

There's a reason, a call,  Something in the mist, leading  From error to Tao. Daily Stoic:  Good / virtue Bad / vice Indifferents / preferred, dispreferred Having preferred indifferents is fine. Letting them have me, control me or influence me past a duty to be virtuous, is not.  At any point, I must be ready to abandon the indifferents to steady my aim. When the arrow flies, I must be content that I did all I can to hit the mark — whether or not it strikes true is beyond my control — but if my aim is off due to my pursuit of indifferents, that's on me.  Today's Meditation: Today's Music: Borodin: Quartet No. 2 in D major for Strings, III. Notturno: Andante Today's Art: The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters , aquatint by Francisco de Goya from the series Los Caprichos, 1799 " Fantasy abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters: united with her, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of their marvels. " 

Have I mindfulness? Even monkeys fall from trees.  Attentiveness helps.  Daily Stoic:  If someone challenges me, contradicts, opposes, or insults me, either they are right and I should heed their contentions or they are mistaken and I should understand this and make allowance for it.  When criticized, too often I mentally leap to defend myself.  I fail to consider the import of their words, but rather sound the alarm to "man the battle stations" and "defend my honor." Instead, I ought to practice mindfulness and consider that they may have a point. Maybe I am  acting irrationally or stupidly or ineffectively or unkindly.  If virtue is truly my goal, my response should instead be a heartfelt "Thank you for correcting my error" and a conviction to be better in the future.  If I do pause and consider their words and find them mistaken, I should remember all the times I've been wrong, intentionally or accidentally, and the troubles my actions have caused.

Near the end of life  Dying light, as a sunset Can be beautiful. Daily Stoic: I get so angry when.... They really piss me off.... Goddamit!  I hate those... And just how often has this worked out well for me? Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Music: Saint-Saëns - The Carnival of the Animals - XIII. The Swan

Today, in re death,  Losing a friend soon. Just damn.  The boatman calls. Come.  Daily Stoic: A friend is dying soon. I've known her for 40 years, the older sister of a close friend.  She has a passion for dancing and music and art. Always creative. Always kind. Moves to make a heart stir.  Her friends all gathered in a virtual group. People around the world whose lives she touched in a modern celebration of life, sharing videos and music and images and love for her in these final days. A beautiful memorial for a strong soul. ...in my own case, I have lost my most respected tutor, my mother, and also one of my brothers. When they passed away, of course, I felt very, very sad. Then I constantly kept thinking that it's no use to worry too much, and if I really loved these people, then I must try to fulfill their wishes with a calm mind. So I try my best to do that. So I think if you've lost someone who is very dear to you, that's the proper way to approach it. You see, th

Roots run deep under Storms rage, peril incarnate.  Willows bend, adapt.  Daily Stoic: We live in trying times, but they are not the same as those of our forebears.  The bread lines and perennial 'man on the street in a sandwich board' days are in the past. Though many of the same problems still affect us — unemployment, homelessness, alcohol and drugs — they are not of the same degree as the straits during the Great Depression.  In the midst of all this, I find myself remarkably blessed. I hold a steady job, live in a good house, have a loving family and good friends.  I even have time to meditate on the meaning of life and what it is to be a good man.  I've had challenges in life, all but one surmountable without too much struggle.  How deep do my roots go?  Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III: Daily Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet , Act 2 Scene 2

Tree fae visit us,  Hiding their repast in trees. Watch for the fruit. Bat!  Daily Stoic: Reminds me of one of my favorite sayings: Don't just do something! Stand there!  I first heard this in politics. The speaker was exhorting his companion to refrain from acting, despite brod pressure to act , so as to prove he was "a capable leader, someone who takes charges and gets things done" yadda yadda yadda.  In politics, on of the first rules is that if there's a crisis (or even a minor "emergency") you have to be seen to be "taking swift action" so people know you are a L eader.  The problem is that initial reactions are so damned often wrong. Not only wrong, but seriously detrimental to whatever real workable solution comes up later.  So, let this be my lesson today: Don't just do something! Stand there!  Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III:

Wants and piece of work,  Important, unimportant,  We must be ready .  Daily Stoic: It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little. ~ Diogenes of Sinope Finding things like leisure, travel and learning positive is fine, but I must keep them in the realm of preferred indifferents, preventing them becoming important to my fulfilled life.  Today's Meditation: Today's Meditation II: Today's Meditation III: Daily Shakespeare: Hamlet , Act 2 Scene 2 

My son is returned  Now nine years, no longer mine.  Returned to the Earth.