NOT KEEPING SCORE

Driving through town today.
Radio scanning, lingers on male a cappella group singing “Star Spangled Banner.”
Stop to listen.
Take a moment to see the stars and stripes flick in the wind out the corner of my eye. Cotati Veterans Memorial.
Listening to the lyrics, never made the Orwell-Buddhism connection before:
“And the rockets red glare
the bombs bursting in […]

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A MULTI-PART EXPLORATION ON WHETHER PEOPLE CHANGE, THROUGH THE COMPLETELY UN-SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL ITEMS FOUND IN SHANNON DEJONG’S “SPECIAL BOX” AND ASSORTED CHILDHOOD MEMORABILIA*[1] — AND OTHER STUFF, TOO
Part V
I was driving through San Francisco yesterday, cranking my way down Post Street —
The light turned red at Polk, and I idled there. As […]

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A MULTI-PART EXPLORATION ON WHETHER PEOPLE CHANGE, THROUGH THE COMPLETELY UN-SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL ITEMS FOUND IN SHANNON DEJONG’S “SPECIAL BOX” AND ASSORTED CHILDHOOD MEMORABILIA*[1] — AND OTHER STUFF, TOO
Part IV
I went to a baby shower for a friend the other day, which was lovely, truly lovely. But let me tell you — it could […]

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A MULTI-PART EXPLORATION ON WHETHER PEOPLE CHANGE, THROUGH THE COMPLETELY UN-SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL ITEMS FOUND IN SHANNON DEJONG’S “SPECIAL BOX” AND ASSORTED CHILDHOOD MEMORABILIA*[1] — AND OTHER STUFF, TOO
Part III

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So […]

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A MULTI-PART EXPLORATION ON WHETHER PEOPLE CHANGE, THROUGH THE COMPLETELY UN-SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL ITEMS FOUND IN SHANNON DEJONG’S “SPECIAL BOX” AND ASSORTED CHILDHOOD MEMORABILIA*[1]

Part II

Speaking of whether people change…

I’m about to sit down at my computer and write a post about change in perspective.

I am about to write about how I may have been […]

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A MULTI-PART EXPLORATION ON WHETHER PEOPLE CHANGE, THROUGH THE COMPLETELY UN-SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL ITEMS FOUND IN SHANNON DEJONG’S “SPECIAL BOX” AND ASSORTED CHILDHOOD MEMORABILIA*[1]
Part I
I know I’ve been doing all this talking about the joys of “detaching,” purging, and finding oneself as materially empty as Buddha’s wallet — but I’m doubling back to […]

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Drinking a cup of tea and thinking of warm days in Vietnam, I find something I wrote while there:
“I start to think of home. I imagine how things are going to be different once I return, what exciting new changes I’ll make in my life, how thrilling it will be to tell others of my […]

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[Cue violin strings]
As I say good-bye to the first half of my twenties, I find myself reflecting on what I’ve done with my life for this first quarter of a century [lolling trumpet]. Have I accomplished all I said I would by this age? What will I set out to do in years to come? […]

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I once had a shirt in Jr. High School that said “Respect the Circle of Life” and this picture:

I was reminded of it today when I had coffee and cigarettes for lunch with a friend. We talked about how we love it when you eat a lot of salt & vinegar potato chips and your […]

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Dad came into room and said
“Shan, it’s 6:15 — you want another half an hour?” and when normally I would think no, no I need to get up now. I am visiting Sonoma County for only 48 hours; I must rise and meet the day like Sultan-Warrior-God and go forth and Accomplish (capital “a”), […]

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