Cold Hath No Mercy

Being sick, uh, sucks. The body spends most of its energy fighting the germs, and there's precious little left to do things like work or play, or merely be a decent human being. The trick is to not let it bring you down, because it does. Makes the whole weird seem a bleak place, for a few days at least.
I have a "cold", and it has colored the world a very grey color. Conveniently, the missing winter here in Austin has made one quick stage appearance (almost a cameo in our months long late spring), so rain and chill are useful extensions of my inner life, right now.

Here's a song for the day...

• Nick Drake - Northern Sky

Finding Love

So, once again it's Valentine's Day, and all the (western) world of humans rejoices in the urge to mate. Well, I suppose you rejoice if you are involved with someone you like, or you think there's a good likelihood you may be involved with someone you like, shortly. If your prospects are not good, or you find you are involved with someone you don't particularly like, then this song is for you:

• J Geils Band - Love Stinks

If you happen to be lucky (like me) and have a fine person to come home to (on most nights - let's be realistic), then Valentine's Day is the day to ignore the capitalist forces at work, and purchase chocolate and flowers for your loved one. And why not? Commercialization or not, can you think of a better reason to celebrate?

• Van Morrison - Crazy Love

Let's begin

Why am I starting a new blog? There's already ten million blogs out there, with new ones every day. It seems everyone has a lot to say about something.

I'm not even sure I have a lot to say about anything, much less publish those thoughts out there for anyone to read.

But, I'm going to give it a try.

So, with that said. Here we go.

I just started graduate school, in pyschotherapy. It was a big decision, of course, and I'm already finding myself swept away by the world of psychology. Everything I see or do has links to my studies, and, I suppose, well they should. Human experience is a giant conglomeration of psychology.

I was driving around a few days ago, when I got a call. My nephew had just a car wreck, and was physically mostly okay, but majorly in shock. He was talking a hundred miles an hour, and I had to filter his words to find out that he had the accident, his car was totalled, he was not bleeding, and was sitting at a Starbucks calling around to find someone to either take him home or to the emergency room. Either, he wasn't sure. I volunteered.

So, I'm driving to the Starbucks across town, listening to my mp3 player and thinking about all this. And, I have a revelation. "Everyone is in the same boat." Or, maybe we're all on this ship together. Whatever. For a little while, until I arrive at coffeeville, I am able to see everyone - the kid on the street waiting for the bus, the harried mom pushing a stroller, the guy in the car next to me swerving to get in the "right" lane. We're all doing this thing called life, and we're doing it together, more or less. I felt compassion like I haven't felt it before, for everyone, without bounds.

Here's the song I was listening to:

• Tears for Fears : Everybody Wants To Rule The World