Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet; She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet. She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree; But I, being young and foolish, with her would not agree.
In a field by the river my love and I did stand, And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand. She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs; But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
Green Eggs and Ham is the earliest children’s book that made an impression — mostly for its catchy lyricism. Robinson Crusoe was the first story that resonated.
A tourist looks back fondly upon A favorite destination; A traveler is always at it.
A tourist loathes travel hiccups; A traveler calls them stories.
A tourist jumps from one Postcard vista to the next; A traveler moves through the world.
A tourist collects knicknacks & geegaws; A traveler collects experiences.
A tourist, between sights, seeks A life experience as close to Their homelife as possible. A traveler wants a life experience As close to local as possible.
A tourist has a favorite meal; A traveler assumes he hasn't Crossed paths with it yet.
A tourist leaves nothing to chance; A traveler embraces the spontaneous.
A tourist takes comfort as a main course; A traveler uses it like a condiment.
…we should not be too confident in our belief of anything.
cicero; tusculan disputations
No matter what plans you make, no matter what you acquire, the thief will enter from the unguarded side. Be occupied, then, with what you really value and let the thief take something less.
Rumi; Mathnawi II
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
Marcus aurelius; Meditations
I possess, but I am not possessed by her; since the best thing is to possess pleasures without being their slave, not to be devoid of pleasures.
aristippus [according to Diogenes laertius in lives of the eminent philosophers]
Do not fear the gods. Do not fear death. What is good is easy to attain. What is painful is easy to endure.
philodemus; Herculaneum papyrus [Often referred to as the four cures of epicurus]
Language can be complex, reason may sprawl, And words don't always seem to point the way. Extremes aren't always clear and distinct. Overhauls are not always an upgrade. The gist may dwell in a key phrase or two -- Those words the whip that make it race or stay. Though multitudinous words are in place They must do more than roar, hiss, or bray. Overuse of the whip exhausts the horse -- Keep the impulse to whip too much at bay.
List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?
Steven Kotler’s The Rise of Superman changed the way I looked at mind-body development.
Water Margin [a.k.a. Outlaws of the Marsh] convinced me a sprawling epic could be worth reading if it was done well, it kicked my love of Chinese Literature into high gear, and it started me on the path of learning Chinese.
Self-Reliance and Other Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson had a major influence on my early philosophical development — especially the titular essay.
Now, I’m thinking I should’ve pushed one of these out for Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, but perhaps another time.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 