Sand Lapper Refugee

No particular reason to initiate this other than a need to get thoughts out of my head. It is a affirmation of the long standing practice of meditations.  I make no presumption to match those who memorably engaged in this task from Aurelius to Descartes to Arendt and Russell.  So I can drop the names in a humble brag voice, but it is still just for me. Writing as a Sandlapper refugee I acknowledge my roots and origins from South Carolina, but it is a birthplace I left at 18 in 1983 to go to college and then continued to look for grounding until 1992 when I landed in Denver, CO.  I think I understand the Southern heart pretty well as a native son but it was not mine.  Refugee is certainly a vain title in this time, when people who truly need refuge and sanctuary from an unforgiving and brutal world are turned away at our doorstep and the president imagines us as some gated community, keeping vigilance against the "shit-hole countries" of the world."  I suppose ...

As Aaliyah sang at 15, "Age ain't nothing but a number" and while three years have flown by and much has changed since last I posted - I am still standing (sure another song reference).  This proved to be a marvelous theme song for this summer getting the youngest out of 8th grade and into high school and the oldest into a better collegiate fit, back here in CO.  And it is a particularly enjoyable theme for the year after watching  Rocketman  during 8th Grade "graduation" celebration with the Daniel contingent out from the Carolinas with the graduate.  He was both entertained and humored by his father and aunt belting out that and other songs with the movie. So now it is almost the 10th month and I am here - finding many things that engage, energize and expend my efforts and energy all at the same time.  I have a new house to occupy my tinkering talents both as handyman and gardener.  Last year I was part of the committee to review and revise the...