One of the most powerful things I’ve read:
My friends, be the change you want to see.
Author: Carl Setzer
A blogger blogging from just north of Seattle.
June 6, 2020: Morning Haiku
freshest morning light
brightening the clouds at dawn
puddles of songbirds
Watching dawn move on a cloudy morning, light comes through the clouds slowly, gently. The firs brighten, birds wake, yet humanity’s quiet.
The world still convulses, desperate for justice. A new day, an opportunity for change, for hope, for peace.
June 5, Haiku : Trampled Trust
empty, hollow words
unable to find healing
trust that’s been trampled
June 4, 2020: Reflexes of Pain
human reflexes
to inflict pain upon those
we believe hurt us
A cycle of destruction that threatens to consume us all.
Rain in the Moonlight
rain atop the roof
calm, staccato memories
droplets of moonbeams
An afternoon haiku
fresh spring rains
glistening sunlight
bees hidden
What makes a good life?
This TED Talk was just sent to me: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness | Robert Waldinger. I’ve seen this video before and greatly appreciate the insights brought to light.
Here’s the basic framework. Harvard started a study around 80 years ago looking at what makes us happy and healthy in life. Having a study like this last this long is very significant. Dr. Waldinger is the 4th director of this study. It gives us a rare glimpse into positive living, one that hasn’t existed before.
In my youth, I believed, like so others that wealth and fame were the keys to an awesome life. There are many studies showing that a majority of people think the same. Turns out, that’s wrong.
“Good relationships keep us happier and healthier”. Social connection is life-giving, loneliness kills. This isn’t the number of friends, etc, but the quality. Also, living in conflict is destructive. The people who were the most satisfied at age 50 have the best health in their 80s. And good relationships are not only good for our bodies but also our minds. Ultimately, having people in your life that you KNOW have your back, that will be there when the times go bad, this is what will make your life satisfying.
I’m glad to have the benefit of the wisdom from this study without having to have lived a full lifetime, to use this knowledge to make a better life, not simply reflect back. And I want the same for you. Take a few minutes out of your day and go watch this video.
June 2, 2020 Haiku
a springtime moment
some cat holding a sparrow
blood on its whiskers
These are troubling times, aren’t they? I wonder what it would take for humanity to seek connection instead of division. Perhaps I’m naive to think that such a thing is possible. Perhaps. Yet I’ll cling to my hope.
Haiku, May 30, 2020
a day filled with rain
I avoid the damp puddles
circles flow outwards
A day of rain and thunder, such an abnormally in Seattle. Well, not the rain; that’s still quite common. Yet today I opted to forgo my evening walk. Just wasn’t in the mood to be soaked, cold and shivering.
Thunder in the Morning : A Haiku
rolling with the rain
there’s thunder in Seattle
the crows now silent
I wasn’t expecting thunder and lightening this morning. That’s rather atypical for Seattle. It brings back many memories for me, though. Life in the tropics had many joys.