I’m reading a book about Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson that is quite interesting.  Da Vinci was obsessed and investigated the geometries of perspective, the optics of light, the effect on the human mind, the shading of lines, and colors and so much more.  Vast curiosity, imagination, and a drive to learn through experimentation and hyper-keen observation were his hallmark traits.  It’s rare that such traits combine with that of a creative and ambitious genius, and at a time in which discovery and learning was so valued by humanity.  There are so many life lessons to be understood.  But the ones that I’d like to draw on (note the pun) are his work on perspective, a favorite topic of mine, as well as shading.

First shading.  Mathematically a line has no width, and hence no volume.  In nature, in everything we can see we cannot see a line.  We see a geometry, a volume, and hence in representing lines in our mind we really see shading.  Leonardo experimented and worked to understand optics, light, and the volume and effect of shading.  And we learn too.  We are taught to think of the world as good and bad, right and wrong, and paths that are clearly defined.  When like in art and math, there are not lines without shades, that paths are not as clearly delineated as our framing would like.  It takes time and experience to understand that our greatest challenges and life-learning is when we are pushing boundaries of hard drawn lines and it is there that we find the shading.

Perspective too, has a way of being fuzzy.  As we look into the distance, items twice as far away are half the size, and so too we find that features blur, color is muted and faded.  It is necessary to journey there to see clearly the features.  It is necessary to keep in mind that as we look into our futures, that those futures are never as clear as you may try to play them in your mind.  They too have a lot of shading and blurring of features.  It is wise to use perspective in life and planning, to see broad directions on where to go and why, but also to know that there are many things that cannot be seen clearly until you are there, and even then we find shading.  Perspective gives us a point of view, that used wisely, is invaluable. While shading reminds us of the complexity of life, keeping the world interesting, and challenging us always…

Maybe tomorrow I will

Seize the day or carpe diem

Live with vitality and purpose

Put regrets and worries on the shelf

Think of blessings and joys

Find that energy and drive

Oh my… maybe tomorrow I will!

I know I often try to write something uplifting and positive… not feeling it right now.  I’m still dealing with cough that the “Dude in 9C” was dealing with and it’s been about a month. Many suffer long term illnesses much worse than this, I have real respect for those that endure and continue to keep spirit positive!

Illness Normal

Whooping is a bad name

Sounds too cute

Gasping or Chocking is a better name

Coughing leading to gasping for air

Has no cuteness about it.

Accept it, this is the new normal

Sleep is elusive and scary

Cough is a movement away

And gasping, chocking right behind it

Nothing cute about whooping

I experiment… how to calm that feeling of drowning

How to hold breath when everything screams breathe

Air is all around me, and I can’t get any at all

Wide awake, panic, and yet I know I have to be calm

And the air comes in just in time to fuel another spasm of cough

During the day, I am upright

So, I get by with short coughing fits

Gasping and drowning is for at night

Sleep in between so I can be up during the day

Courage is prerequisite to go to sleep

It’s only been a month, maybe a couple more to go

At first I thought it impossible

Now it’s a new normal, and I’m committed to endure

I have new appreciation for those suffering long term illness

Coping is frustrating, nothing cute about it

Carson Michael Flynn

We celebrate Christmas in a mere five days hence

The miracle of a baby’s birth two millennia ago

And contemplate the miracle of birth here today

A second wondrous gift from Tracy and Mathew

We celebrate the birthday of Carson Michael

We celebrate life and future of unlimited horizons

We celebrate the legacy of love and commitment

Happy Birthday Carson!

Christmas Throughout the Year

I know a happy soul that always whistles a Christmas tune

He whistles just as happily regardless if its December or June

For him Christmas joy is not for a certain time of year

Rather it is an everyday spirit through his whistle we hear

If only Christmas was all the time

Then love and peace would forever shine 

It’s not the decorations, the presents under the tree 

But our time with friends and family we love to see

If only Christmas was all throughout the year

Then children would never know a single tear

It’s not the stores, the elves and Santa we need

We need the joy and spirit of God’s grace indeed

If only Christmas’ perfect meaning was clear

In our hearts, it must live throughout the year

And if you get a chance, especially in June

I hope you’ll whistle your own joyous Christmas tune!

I’m the Dude in 9C

You know they are looking at me

I feel their thoughts, I hope he’s not near me

There’s a seat open, and it’s 9C

I plop my bags, and manage the overhead

The sideways glances the lean away is evident

I’ve planned ahead, as much as I could do

I look ahead, no eye contact is part of the plan

I’ve got medications to help

I’ve got napkins, they hold up better than tissue

I’ve got four hours of closeness with 9B and 9D and rows 8 and 10

Fruitlessly I suppress cough, it just makes it worse

You know it has to come out – I might just explode

It sounds worse than it is, but who’s going to want to hear that

I know what they are thinking anyway, my next week is ruined

I hope not, but I couldn’t drive home, so there’s no choice

Sometimes it’s a bit of life’s lottery, sorry you were near 9C

Finally, arrival, and for a first, no one crowds me as I leave

They never stopped looking at me

Yvonne and I have birthdays two weeks apart, so milestone birthdays are always cool.  However, turning 60, we thought to be a relatively low key affair.  We looked forward to getting together with the kids and grandkids the first weekend of November on Yvonne’s actual birthday in Marco Island and thought that was terrific.  We didn’t want to make a big deal out of turning 60, we really did enjoy the time with the kids and grandkids.  Used to be 30 years ago, we’d want to get away from the kids!  Now we can’t wait to see them and long weekends are a great way to do that!

Well our daughters, and our Mom and Dad decided that a surprise was to be in store for us and they shocked us, and touched us immensely! Much of our extended family came to visit and surprise us with a dinner and party. Then of course another one the next day and wind down party on Sunday too.  Wow!  First how did they pull that off, and second how didn’t Yvonne sniff it out?

Her sister’s, my brother and sister from Michigan came, as well as our local family and our family from Arizona.  Total surprise!

Our brother-in-law Hector cooked for the second party and our Grandson’s Birthday, Wesley is three!

It was a great party weekend and we cannot thank everyone enough, so many gave of their time and spent so much to reward Yvonne and I for making it to this milestone of 60 years old!

Back to turning 60… of course we’ve been thinking about slowing down, and someday soon retiring.  Recently we’ve gotten excited about planning for retirement including spending summers in Michigan, with a condo we purchased near family, and making time for travel.

While everyone was visiting and thru Thanksgiving, and we have so much to be thankful for, especially with such wonderful family and friends!  Work jumped up to put demands on me.  For three weeks in a row, I worked production on a project that was behind and burning our team out.  At 60 I had a chance to understand and to demonstrate a commitment to customer and to team that I think was good for others to see.   Many asked, why are you working so hard? The ones that know and understand me the best, required no explanation.  They knew I would have to drive to deliver on commitments and to support the team

Well at 60 it was harder to stay up and party with everyone and get up and go to work the next morning than it used to be, but I did it.   I was happy to see that I could still do it (for a short time anyway) and reminded me that 60 isn’t so old after all… but retirement still seems so very attractive!

Oh, and maybe we learned that birthdays shouldn’t be low-key, but rather enjoyed and a celebrated part of life, for sure they are precious, and not guaranteed.

An Accident at Rush Hour

An accident at rush hour, 7 cars

Inconvenient for many, tragic for some

Our baby in the middle, but she’s able to call

She’s injured in the ambulance, fear as we arrive

She’s bruised and cut and as we extract her and go to the hospital

Others are being lifted into ambulances and glass is being swept

The cause was a woman, drunk, distracted, a storm of uncertainty

She’s at the hospital as we wait, along with her man, trying to explain

No point in listening, no need to respond, a reckless storm knows no guilt

Lives disrupted, maybe permanent, maybe tragically, but the storm won’t remember

It’s just an accident at rush hour, something to find your way around

Unless it’s you, your loved ones, that are trying to weather the storm

The storm will blow through and tragically do it again

No responsibility, there’s insurance for that

Haul the cars away, clean the mess

Pray the victims will rebuild from this storm!

Feet up at the end of the day

When you’ve fought the battle well

When it’s of success you wish to tell

And pride causes your chest to swell

Celebrate accomplishment with a happy smile

Put your feet up at the end of the mile

Let your toes flag fly for a little while

Yesterday, I was reading an article about poetry I found interesting, it describes a new book called “Poetry Pharmacy”.  I love the title.  The article I was reading can be found on the BBC site, and is entitled “The Words that can make us calmer“: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170927-the-words-that-can-make-us-calmer

William Sieghart, the author of Poetry Pharmacy, creates and uses poetry as a self-help book for life.

This makes so much sense to me; to use the observation and expression of someone else to help us understand, life, and life situations and emotions.  Giving words to life gives us a deeper understanding and a means to internalize the what’s-going-on-with-me thoughts.   In the article, there is the recommendation that to read poetry and to feel it’s message it needs to be read out-loud, at least out-loud in our heads.  Otherwise the information has no emotion and the meaning is lost as in reading a menu or directions.  The directions or list is understood at that time, but not retained in the part of brain that captures emotion and feeling.  I found that reading the article helped me understand in part why I write poetry and why it means something more than just rhymes on a page.

We all have days when the demands of the world require us to carry a load further, and we have had those days where the world is not cooperating and we are weary of the repetitive demands of the burden we carry.  I had one of those days not long ago and these words that follow came to me.  Maybe this gives a little solace to those that have to get up and keep trudging on when you’d rather not, my view of The Burden…

The Burden

Today will be a rainy day

I feel it in my bones

And in my bed, I’d rather stay

But I rise, creak and crack

The world expects it of me

So, put this burden on my back

Onto the day and into the rain

It is for me to carry on

No use or purpose to complain

The burden will never know

It just sits there and weighs

Heavy as it bends me low

I’ll rest well when I’m dead

And the burden will fall gratefully

To another lucky someone instead