Worthwhile Screed

Thanks to reader,....let's call him "AnotherSlab", for this one!

Pirate Golf

One Captious commment on YouTube (not mine!):

I know I'm gonna catch a lot of shit for this. But good golfers know this guy has an advantage over two legged golfers. The only thing he ever had to learn was swing plane. His center stays put because he cannot sway without falling over, and the low point of his swing arch is super consistent cuz he's anchored. This guy is the human equivalent to a belly putter. off the course he is at a disadvantage. But in golf...he kinda has the ideal anatomy.

Blind Surfer?

Cool.

But I still think *blind golfers* who have 4-handicaps are more impressive!

Pennies From Heaven

I was talking to the *mom* of an 8 year old at the park yesterday:

Mother - I was helping my son with his math work and I realized that THEY didn't even teach him what each coin was. He kept confusing nickels and quarters. I literally had to GO AND DIG OUT SOME COINS AND TEACH HIM WHAT EACH ONE WAS WORTH! Can you believe that?

CaptiousNut - Well why the #&%$ didn't you teach him that yourself when he was younger?

Okay. I didn't really say that despite the urge to do so.

But this is the type of foolishness that pervades the culture. Parents defer the responsibility of raising their children to a government bureaucracy and then helplessly rail against the results.

I think I may have helped convince someone (else) to homeschool their kids the other day and that feels really good.

If, before I die, I could somehow provoke thousands of families to educate their kids *outside the system*....I think then I would die a happy, accomplished man. I guess this is developing into my life's purpose or something. Good luck to me!

Attention All Y'All Whiners

Marginalizing My Little Bad Back

Here's an inspirational video posted by 'good guy' Eric Holmlund whose brother was relegated to a wheelchair several years ago. In fact his brother composed the song:

If any of y'all are interested in the *make money online* racket I highly recommend you check out Eric's Tips. Believe me, I've researched a ton of these hucksters and he's not only one of the best and most helpful, he's also one of the few out there teeming with integrity.

And thanks to Paul Mitchell for tipping me off to Eric several months ago.

"Things Desired"

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

This *poem* is called Desiderata....and I'd never come across it before.

The Awakening - Anon

A time comes in your life when you finally get...when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out…ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.


This is your awakening.


You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.


You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you...and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.


You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are…and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.


You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself...and in the process a sense of newfound confidence is born of self-approval.


You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn’t do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.


You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and everything isn’t always about you.


So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself...and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.


You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties…and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.


You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.


You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.


You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.


You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.


You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not you job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.


Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.


You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.


You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.


You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drinking more water, and take more time to exercise.


You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.


You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.


You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.


More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.


You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.


You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.


You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people...and you lean not to always take it personally.


You learn that nobody’s punishing you and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.


You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.


You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.


Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than you heart’s desire.


You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.


You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.


Finally, with courage in you heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

My *awakening* - whatever it was - came after:

• Getting married and multiplying fruitfully
• Reading Will Durant's books (all 11!)
• Starting this blog
• Reading the Bible cover-to-cover + annotations
• Discovering John Taylor Gatto and homeschooling

In the absence of a major life event (trauma, tragedy, etc.)....I believe the process, if it ever happens, is generally more gradual than epiphanous.

Of course *really bad people* have strategically forced the lumpen masses to defer adulthood, they've successfully rewritten history, censored Biblical expression, and insidiously enslaved generations through *schools*.

Be Different

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I came across that nifty quote yesterday and liked it so much I thought I'd share.

Too many people today are petrified to do their own thing - when in fact that should be their explicit goal.

Book Rec - God Never Blinks

A friend from my now former home - the South Shore - gave me this book last weekend as a wrapped parting-gift.

While she described it as just *a little something* and *light reading*, I'm happy to report that it turned out to be so much more than that. It was fantastic.

And I doubt there's a single person on this dreary planet who wouldn't profit mightily from consuming all its cheesy, pop-psychological/inspirational content.

Here it is on Amazon - order it.

I'm going to have my wife read it, right away. Then I'm going to go back and mine the book more meticulously for its precious gems.

Dollop Of Wisdom