One Thing

If there is no other thing you take from my words, now or ever, receive this: the great question of your life is your response to what the universe presents to you.

I call the motions in history toward the Best 'acts of God,' and seek to join in them. I want to be part of the work of the best, even if my only work is to stay out of the way as the Best unfolds and fulfills itself. Remember that "they also serve who only stand and wait."

Your response might be a question. 'Why, god?' seems to be a common one.

Your response might be a complaint, or a curse.

Your response might be a deed of mercy, an act of compassion, a thought, a song, or a whisper.

My point is that any of these can be good or ill, depending on what is necessary to the best. If one dedicates oneself to the best as one knows, and the God who knows and wills the Best (the God who loves, the Beloved), then one is usually on to a true, good, and beautiful response.

Above all, I charge you, constant reader: remember that your response may be informed but can not be mediated by the actions of others. I call the response to the world that one embraces the Best, worship. I declare this of worship: that the one thing it cannot be is stereotyped or simply copied. If it were so, one could not exist, because one would be unnecessary to the ultimately efficient Great Work.

Reread

So Cory Doctorow wrote this great book called Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town.

There's this wonderful quotation from that novel:

Have you read all of these?” Alan asked as he shifted the John Mortimers down one shelf to make room for the Ed McBains.

“Naw,” she said, punching him in the shoulder. “What’s the point of a bunch of books you’ve already read?”

Actually it's quotations from the novel, because of reincorporation, but you get the idea.

Best Regards, Constant Reader,
Will

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Who watches the Watchmen?

Who watches the Watchmen?

Who watches the watchmen?

A simple 'yes' or 'no' will suffice, although consider yourself free to amplify.

Now I understand

. . . why I haven't been asked to babysit my nephews.

Esaay on Gray Introduction

Sing to me, O Muse, of Precious Balance, of Judgement hard won, of the Tao of metis

The hall of Elrond's house was filled with many folk . . . .

Frodo looked at them in wonder, for he had never before seen Elrond, of whom so many tales spoke; and as they sat upon his right hand and his left, Glorfindel, and even Gandalf, whom he thought he knew so well, were revealed as lords of dignity and power.

Gandalf was shorter in stature than the other two; but his long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy brows his dark eyes were set like coals that could leap suddenly into fire.

J. R. R. Tolkien, quoted from The Lord of the Rings, Book 2, Many Meetings

I was chatting (in the technological sense) with some friends last night [this two years and gone], and remarked that my hair had grayed since last they saw me, December. It being now March [N.B. of 2007], I was vehement at the change. A gracious lady made remark that graying (actually whitening, I read in wikipedia) distinguishes men.

Which is the common observation of early 21st culture. At least in the industrialized world, and I suspect uniformly. Gray hair on a man signifies wisdom, victorious struggle, and dignity. On the other hand a woman's gray hair simply means she isn't young. Which, at least in this pleasure driven cultures that value objects, means she doesn't have one of the two qualities of worth to a woman. And of course that she's likely quickly losing the other: beauty.

(I dissent with the notion that age must rest ungraciously on women. I think we can see the beauty of potential: a young girl or small gazelle or budding gardenia; and the beauty of fulfillment: a mature woman or grizzled wapiti or withered wreath.)

Perhaps it is a specific and concrete achievement to notice, to appreciate the beauty, the good of each thing.

Bluegrass Last Friday

I don't know what they were called, but some folks played music for me at the Blue Bagel (a local coffee shop) Friday.

They were--well they played murder ballads. Need I write more?

DAPPO: To set goals well. Also, a note on planning.

When setting goals,
DAPPO

Dated
Achievable
Personal
Positive
Objective Fulfilment


We never show values, vision, mission, objectives, or goals to anyone unless they ask to see them so they can help. Principle: It is better to

underpromise and overdeliver.

An inferior man speaks and does not act.
A good man's acts accord with his speech.
A superior man acts, and his actions speak for him.