Student Manifesto

I am your student. You are my teacher. I need your patience as much as you need my determination.

In order to learn from you I have to trust you. I have to trust you not to betray me.

Don’t just tell me what is right and what is wrong. Tell me why.

Praise will make me happy when I succeed, but confidence will sustain me when I fail.

Don’t tell me what road to take. Show me how to understand all the roads that can be taken, so that I can choose for myself.

Show me how you teach as well as how I learn.

Remember that even though you are only my teacher, I will also regard you as a person.

Sick Day

I like this change of pace
of my body breaking down to force itself to rest already
of my mind getting so numb and tired
that it pukes out every other bullshit thought
and focuses instead on FIVE THINGS THAT NEED DOING
today.

No arguments, no second-guessing,
No passive-aggressive behavior or “what if” thoughts
No inuendos, no rumors,
and certainly no TV shows that run in circles

Hell, there’s barely enough time and energy to go down
the FIVE THINGS checklist, get them done, do them right,
take some knockout medication, and go to sleep.

If anyone complains,
I either did it wrong and will go back and fix it without hesitation
or they can bite me.

Right Where I Want to Be

I always felt like 40. Last week I actually got there.

At least for me, it is an age that looks back at past mistakes and smiles. There is enough distance now, thank God, and those who would point to my mistakes more than ten years ago have not been paying attention to my achievements in the last ten years.

It is an age that regards youth as more of a handicap of the mind instead of an advantage of the body. It is able to forgive youth for being stupid. It is able to forgive anyone for being stupid, unless they’re over 40 and should have known better.

It is an age of honing established skills instead of trying to find them. It is purposeful discovery instead of reckless experimentation. It is accomplishing dreams instead of dreaming accomplishments. It is an age of definitive choices, because there’s no more room for ambiguity.

It is an age that demands big words and big ideas to be part of daily communication, because forty years is a very long time not to have compiled some big words and big ideas.

It is an age where truth is chosen because it is less work.

Jazz and Dixie

Jazz and Dixie were rescued animals from Animal Match Rescue Team. They are my birthday gifts from Kristie.

Jazz is a light pomeranian, Dixie is a black pomeranian. They are brother and sister, around 8-9 years old, and are happier when they're together, which is why I got both of them. Jazz and Dixie were already appropriately named when I got them.

They are well trained, behaved, and cute as hell.

I usually wake up around 10 or 11am, after going to sleep between 2-4am. I woke up this morning at 8:30 and took them for a walk.

The sun was almost blinding.

More info on the doggies and kitties on the Animal Match Rescue Team web site.


I've tried to coax Jazz and Dixie to come upstairs, but the farthest they've reached is halfway up. So this is what I often see when I take a break after working on the computer a couple hours.