… of A Response to Diary of a Mad, Black Alumni's "What's In A Name?"

A Mad Black Alumni posed a simple question: What's in a name? Is there really any significance to a name beyond it being the unique calling card of every human being. Does it really matter what a person is named – does it change who they are as a person? Is it important how a person is identified? Does a person's name directly impact how a person is perceived by society? These are seemingly some of the natural extensions to that simple, yet difficult, question. I believe that the field of personal identity, especially how a person chooses to identify themselves, is at best an intellectual quagmire fraught with a myriad taboo topics that tend to be swept under the carpet; and at worst a philosophical nightmare that coerces a person to directly confront one's perceptions of culture, dyadic relationships, education, gender, race, and even sexuality. I think all this lies at the bottom of how a name serves as the marker that encapsulates all of a person's particular characteristics, flaws, personality, and traits. I mean this is a mental machination that occurs when a name is called out; automatically, instantaneously the mind not only visualizes, but also conjures up the vital details associated with a particular name. Is the person male or female, short or tall, fat or skinny, their race, their looks, how their voice sounds, and the prevailing attitudes you hold towards that person … etc. You get the idea? So, when we try to unpack the baggage associated with a particular name, we run into all the issues associated with the underlying naming traditions of person's culture. Sounds simple, but it really is a difficult proposition since it forces us to confront the reasons why a particular name was chosen amongst the available choices; and then, compare that to a name a person would choose for themselves.

I am certain that most folks, if it were possible, would jump at the chance to partake in their own naming process. I think the major reason behind this desire is that at some time during the formative years we have been embarrassed or been made to cringe at our given names. Such is the cruelty of youth! Most folks are able to overcome this embarrassment, but some fail and resort to using a sobriquet in an effort to avoid using their government name. The only way to even start understanding the reasons why a particular name was chosen for a person begins with an appreciation of the naming traditions of one's particular culture. The most common naming traditions consisted of choosing a name that indicated either the family's aspirations for a newborn or the family's prevailing circumstances at that person's birth. This has led to a proliferation of some humorous, and some rather unfortunate names in some sections of Afrikan societies – there's a lot of kids named Problems (or its traditional equivalent), Fortune, Independence, Trust, Luck, etc.; I mean there's even a president named Goodluck (Jonathan of Nigeria). All these 'new' names emanate from a co-mingling of traditional naming systems with that of the colonizers.

I know this is a rather broad generalization, but it seems that the aspirational naming tradition is particularly prevalent in patrilineal societies. Patrilineal societies have since developed and continue to follow the legal principles of male primogeniture – that primordial right of inheritance that guarantees that first born sons not only inherit the father's name, but also his entire estate. It follows that uterine (matrilineal, if you will) societies would tend to mirror and have similar naming traditions to the patrilineal societies described above, with the emphasis being on guaranteeing the rights of inheritance to first born daughters. There is a third system of inheritance known as the double descent, in which individuals receive some rights and obligations from the father's side of the family and others from the mother's side – regardless of gender. Double descent cultures, as I continue with my very broad generalizations, would seem to favor the naming traditions based on the prevailing circumstances surrounding a person's birth. One of the more common types of naming traditions is that used by Native Americans – hence the prevalence of names like Dark Cloud, Eagle Feather, Whistling Donkey, Farting Chicken, Night Walker … these names are derived from circumstances at a person's birth or as close to it as possible. That's the only significance attached to these sometimes unusual names.

There is a strong cultural heritage in the naming traditions of most societies. However, these and many other traditions were severely disrupted and diluted by political, philosophical, and religious colonization. The conquering cultures quickly imposed their traditions on the defeated cultures. The best way to survive under these new dispensations was to adopt the language and traditions of the conquering culture – those that adapted quickly made the most headway. Assimilation and adaptation seem to be good survival techniques that have been used throughout history and are still effectively employed to this day. It is not uncommon to meet people in these societies that not only speak two languages, but also have two names – their identities just as interchangeable as the languages they speak. Most modern names are drawn from the religious traditions of the conquering culture – mostly from either Christianity or Islam. The second or middle name is inevitably drawn from their own traditional culture. As already intimated above, most of the traditions of the colonized cultures either totally disappeared or became integrated into a new culture. It is interesting that when the colonized and conquered societies began to fight back to reclaim their space, the first traditions to be revived were language and naming rights. There was an easier recovery in Africa and Asia where societies had managed to retain their languages and vestiges of most of their cultures.

The arc of history was much different for Black society in America. By the time Black society started to earnestly fight for equality, they were so far removed from the West African traditions of their heritage that they had neither language nor culture to fall back on. This is the only explanation that I can safely proffer for some of the crazy names extant in the Black American community. I can understand how in the late 60s and early 70s it was fashionable to choose an exotic – read Afrikan – sounding name as a form of protest. Among the most prominent people to change their names were the new Muhammad Ali and the new Malcolm X. Both publicly indicated that changing their names was an effort to break with their recent slave history. The more extreme of these attempts led to the propagation of some unpronounceable and mostly meaningless names – the only condition attached to their use being that they sounded so exotic that even the villagers in Zamunda could relate to them. Unfortunately, these 'exotic' names only elicited the exact opposite reaction – confusion and derision. It is unquestionable that these efforts failed as there was no effort to directly connect with the real Afrikans of their distant past. However, that must remain as a discussion for another time, but these might be some of the reasons why Mad, Black Alumni's mother chose that combination of names. If they hold a specific significance remains a question that only her mother can satisfactorily answer – the rest of us can only speculate as to the reasons for her choice.

A name remains the only identifier that pervades the duality of existence – it is the only thing that constantly straddles both the public and the private person. As Mad, Black Alumni stated “a name is distinctive” and clearly identifies all the person's aspects “... two sides of me; a lighter, happier, and more positive side of me. Then there is a much darker, secretive, confused, and lost side of me.” The latter darker aspects can be mitigated through direct communication with her mother and getting answers to the question of why she was so named. The choice of a name has always been an important decision as most people will bear that same set or combination of names for life, and even beyond their death. Women have a slight advantage in this scenario as they usually have an opportunity to, at least, change their family name after marriage whereas men do not readily have a similar opportunity. There seems to be growing acceptance of the culture most prevalent in double descent societies of husbands double-barreling their family names with that of their wives. This is simply an acceptance of equality in dyadic relationships, especially in marriages, rather than a deliberate effort to change the combination of one's names.

At the end of the day it remains a personal choice what name or names one chooses to be identified. The only limitations to that choice being whether to stick with one's given names or to change them to others of one's choosing (Ocho Cinco or Meta World Peace anyone?). There are various options available to changing one's names: There is the legal route which takes time and financial resources. Then, there is the simpler and less expensive route of insisting (or just telling people) on being called by a certain name or combination of names. It takes a high level of confidence and self awareness to tell people how you wish to be identified. It seems Mad, Black Alumni has done just that. Please, call her Jasmine!

Today's thought is from the novelist Miguel de Cervantes (1547 – 1616): No fathers or mothers think their own children ugly; and this self-deceit is yet stronger with respect to the offspring of the mind.

Have fun always!!

… On A Lack of Inspiration or Just Plain Ole Procrastination!

I am always putting things off until the last minute. I think I have nailed it down to an exact science. Procrastination is the science (some say art) of putting things off until, well PANIC STATIONS! It is a willfully self inflicted injury, of which I do not think there is an easy remedy. It really doesn't take much effort to delay that start of a project. Procrastination is a self-perpetuating disease and those of us that suffer from it always have the best excuses. I am beginning to believe that procrastinators have the same genetic dysfunction as do inveterate gamblers, dipsomaniacs, and insomniacs. We know we have this malfunctioning aspect of our lives, but do either refuse to or simply do not take the necessary remedial actions to handle this aspect of our lives. No matter how many battle plans we draw up, we will always leave it to the last possible minute to act on it. I have known about writing this piece for the past day and despite all my best intentions to get an early jump and … well, yep, you guessed right: I have waited until the last minute to start. I am convinced there is a genetic misfiring in my mind that is extremely adept at finding excuses, situations, and things to distract me from actually starting this project.

So, I picked up the gauntlet, last night, to write one piece. To my credit, I scribbled a few notes on a pad – does that count as having started? I mean these were a few broad ideas that I could develop into this piece. I was making good progress until I decide to map out my battle plan for my day today. At the top of the list was to churn out this piece first thing in the morning – I mean, I had a few ideas scratched out on a pad, they would percolate overnight, and be ready for full development in the morning. Huh, I have this procrastination thing beaten. I was in good form and quickly went on listing the things that needed accomplishing during today. I was even feeling energized as I now had, in my mind, my day fully mapped out and come morning, I would start the day running. The developing strategy would remain fluid but would have definitive points to be hit by certain times. This post was to be written by lunchtime – see that, a fluid enough but definitive deadline. All I had to do was stick to that plan and I should not have to smack the panic stations button. These are the famous but foolish, final self deceiving thoughts of a procrastinator. The only fault in my planning was my failure to factor in the endless distractions, and detours that would be clamoring for my attention all morning … sigh, and all afternoon.

I believe there is in all procrastinators not only a confidence, but, really an ability to truly execute on any project. This is the procrastinator’s folly – most procrastinators know that they can execute and deliver on any project but always fail to consider their limited personal management skills. By the way, there is no such thing as time management: there will always be 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes to the hour, 60 seconds to the minute – you get the picture? There is only how a person manages themselves to fully utilize those 24 hours. That's a debate for another day. Anyway, back to this false sense of security that lulls procrastinators into believing they somehow possess an innate ability to stretch time regardless of all indications to the contrary.

So, I was set and in good form when I finished outlining my battle plan. I mean, this was a solid plan and well mapped out. too. That's the biggest load of poppycock as the plan started to unravel almost immediately when I made the fatal mistake to check if there was anything interesting on the idiot box. Stupid mistake – before I could even think discipline, I was engrossed in a rerun of an episode of Jerry Springer. I would only watch until Jerry's Final Thought and switch this thing off. Good enough – but these late night commercials are painful to watch … wonder what else is on? Ooh look, Ton and Jerry is on Cartoon Network – wonder which episode this is … before long and for the umpteenth time I'm rooting for Tom to finally get that little rat. Well, will you look at the clock. Damn, it's already 4:30am. Shit! I will definitely turn off the television at 5:00am. I will just watch the last half hour of Jerry and these three episodes of Tom and Jerry.

Soon, I roll over and try to fall asleep. I fail miserably as I lay there cogitating on not only what I am going to write, but also what I will accomplish by sticking to my laid out battle plan. This seems like a good strategy – foreshadowing the success of my day by playing it out in my day. This is a silly move as these calm thoughts soon turn into a raging internal debate whether I should start writing (since I am still wide awake :( and sleep later in the day or to stick to the battle plan. I could make some tea, start writing something and … this is when the laziness kicks in. I couldn't be bothered to get up, walk to the kitchen and start making the tea. I am already comfortable and warm in here – besides, I will be more productive in the morning when I am fully rested. Yeah right – it still takes me another hour to finally fall asleep. Another case of the self induced insomnia – which is always a good excuse to why I delayed finishing writing this piece. See, what I did there?

I wonder what time it is? Its still looks gray outside. How long have I been asleep? I roll over and look at the clock. It's just blinks at me. It takes a moment for my sleepy mind to register that the there must have been a power cut while I slept. Well, it's still early out so I can snooze for another few minutes … its another hour and a half before I wake up. I turn the idiot box on – shit its close to midday. What happened to my morning – I open the blinds, it's still gray out because its cloudy and overcast. Well, that battle plan is now definitely awash but not yet a total loss. The secret is not to panic, stay focused, make some minor adjustments to the battle plan and I can still recover this day and make my deadline. Well, first things first - let's get some coffee going while I brush my teeth.

That coffee smells so good. Tastes good too – let me check my email while I drink my coffee. This will give me a chance to fully wake up. I wonder what's going on in the world – so, I turn on the idiot box. It will serve as a good backdrop to my writing. I am a little hungry. I will need something to munch on as I write. Leftovers will be the quickest option – I shove some in the microwave. I wonder what it feels like outside. So, I walk out and immediately feel the humidity. I look up and it looks like there is a storm rolling in – that should help the creative juices. I walk back in and decide to see what the folks at the Weather channel are saying about the weather. The microwave beeps to inform me that my food is ready. I grab it and sit in front of the idiot box. As soon as I finish eating I will be ready to start writing in earnest. After I checked on the weather, I change channels to check on the Business headlines. That keeps me entertained for a while and, shit, that's the closing bell. Dang, its already mid afternoon and am yet to start writing. So, I jump up and am now resolved to get this done in the quickest time possible. I head to the kitchen to wash my hands and when I come back … what are they talking about on the idiot box. I missed the introduction to this story – fine, I will check it out on the Wires before I start writing. So, I head over to Reuters and quickly scan the headlines. Hhhmm, that's interesting so I start reading the article … needless to say before I realize it another hour has flown by. I could always ask for an extension to the deadline … PANIC STATIONS!

I have a little time to the deadline and if I start writing NOW!! I should be able to beat the … I need to pee. Ok, as soon as I handle my business I start writing and will not stop until I finish the post. I could always take the easy route out and just list issues that I have honed down to make my form of procrastination an exact science. The list is:

1. False sense of security based on personal ability
2. Laziness – do I need to explain this trait?
3. Excuses – Did I really need to check the Weather Channel?
4. Denial – I really do not think I have a problem. Do you?
5. PANIC STATIONS – Repeat for the next project.

As I said, I have this procrastination thing down to an exact science. Accept your foibles, learn to live with them, and Have fun always!!

Today's thought: Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar. Bradley Miller, activist (b. 1956)

Have fun always!!

… of Strategies to Overcome 'Writer's Block'.

To be a good writer – you have to write. Just write. Sounds trite. Just write … a simple enough instruction to any aspiring writer. But when the words are not coalescing into coherent thoughts and refusing to transition from your noggin … one ends up sitting in front of a blank screen for hours on end, just staring at that stupid blinking cursor. That fucking cursor is mocking me. Daring my fingers to start poking away at the keyboard so that little fucker can dance across the page. It becomes a battle of wills – fingers versus thoughts! The fingers hover, ready to peck away but the thoughts refuse to form into some coherent stream. But that cursor remains relentless, persistently mocking me and the longer I stare at it … shit how long has it been? Three minutes of a mushy thought process and it still feels like I am wading through muddy waters. This could be just plain, old, run of the mill procrastination. I am in the middle of a full blown discussion, in my head, on why no firm ideas are quickly coming to mind. I really should concentrate on the writing rather than giving more life to this internal debate. I need to focus on that rather dim idea beginning to form on the periphery of my imagination. This is a good idea,  as every time I turn my attention towards those ideas, the closer I reach to getting this piece writing.

It is always a toss up between action and procrastination. There is hope, yet, as I start taking these baby steps towards starting to actually write this piece. Each small step towards settling on a specific idea is some progress towards getting this piece writing. I mean, the longer I sit here cogitating and not actually writing – the more frustrated I get. The more frustrated I get, the fuzzier the ideas get, and the longer I just stare at that cursor. Its an infinite loop and, if I am not careful, I will no sooner find myself up to my neck in the murky waters of self doubt and most certainly being silted to the gills. That image really encapsulates the whole writing process, does it not? That is the whole process - from ideation to proofing the final draft. It starts with the simple choosing of one idea from the many buzzing around your noggin and running with it to its natural death. One idea – even if half baked - will spawn other ideas and before long pages will be filling with ideas. A good writer should be comfortable and free enough, while developing a specific idea, to head off at a tangent and chase another idea. However, the secret to good writing, just as in a good conversation, lays in the ability to smoothly return to the original idea. So, be bold and never hesitate to wade into the murky recesses of your mind. Make that little blinker run across the screen. Type one word, type another, then the next, then a fourth, before long it seems like you are playing a game of word associations but the page is filling with words. Eventually these words coalesce into groups and become ideas that will form and organize into the semblance of a comprehensible line of thinking. You, as a writer, will have to tinker with that semblance to ensure that it flows and makes sense to your reader.

However, the question remains is there a surefire way of curing instances of 'writer's block'? There will be times when your mind just stubbornly refuses to engage. This is always a quandary for an otherwise eloquent, loquacious, logophile with a tendency to be sesquipedalian (that just means a well-spoken lover of words who enjoys using long words). There is a myriad of advice and college courses on how to become a competent writer but never on how to overcome the debilitating malaise of 'writer's block'. What strategies or techniques are available to a writer of any skill level to defeat the mental hesitancy or reticence to quickly formulate a concept to write around. It usually strikes at the top of the writing process – what should be the rather simple task of ideation becomes an arduous process until you are stuck counting how many times that cursor is going to blink before you peck out that first word ( 237 times :) It goes without saying that a good writer should not only have a broad and well developed vocabulary, but an awareness of some basic writing conventions. You know little things like noun and verb agreement; and knowing the definitions and proper use of small words. It's always the meaning and use of small words that causes the most confusion! My personal pet peeves are writers that do not know the difference between the contraction “you're” and the possessive “your”; and, seem to be unaware that “there, they're, and their” are three distinct words with different meanings and uses. Let me obviate that silly question – a dictionary is a good starting point and it goes without saying that a good writer will undoubtedly be also a voracious reader, too. A good writer should invest the time and effort to become competent in the minutiae of the mechanics of the language. A simple trick is to read your writing out loud – if it does not read out smoothly, that is usually a very good indicator that either your ideas are still half baked or your mechanics are off. These issues are easy to correct with practice and the help of a (friendly) proofreader.

However, there remains a fundamental difference amongst the major stops, to the creative process, of laziness, procrastination, and 'writer's block'. These are three of the worst stumbling blocks to the writing process. The most enervating remains the 'writer's block', as it is the most difficult to overcome. The first two are easy to define and can easily be overcome by sheer bloody mindedness, dogged determination, and by establishing firm deadlines. However, the third – writer's block – is always not only difficult to define, but is a tough cookie to crack. Some writers set aside a definitive period and time to write – an hour every morning, an hour every night, or every morning until I write a certain number of words. Or, you could just write whenever an idea hits you with the stipulation of writing a certain number of words each day, or every couple of days. Remember to choose the strategy that works best for you as this it might be enough to keep the creative juices flowing regularly. A scheduled time to write is a technique that works for some. If the muse refuses to be fed, are there any other ways to start the writing process?

A story is told (usually at graduations) of a sign post at the start of a gravel road. The sign warns travelers to carefully choose a specific rut as they will be stuck in it for the next 20 miles until they reach the next town. It is a neat metaphor that succinctly illustrates the importance of carefully selecting one's career as it will be the focus of most of the rest of one's life. It is also applicable to the writing process as you do not want to start writing about pixies only to lose interest a hundred words into your piece. Unfortunately, if one has identified writing as a chosen pursuit and runs into a mental stop or a simple 'stuck' in their creative process – navigating out of that rut can be even more mentally taxing. The following are various strategies to kick-start the creative process to writing: the word association strategy; the steam of consciousness writing; the observational technique; and the delayed observational technique in which an idea or issue is allowed to bubble and fester in a writer's subconscious for a few days before it is finally, fully formulated and given voice on a page. I usually reserve the last technique for issues that really piss me off and need me to calm down before I put pen to paper (so to speak). Ok, fine - before fingers start tapping keyboard.

The word association strategy is basically to write about the first fully formed idea that comes to mind. It starts by simply typing words onto the screen. As described earlier – one just starts typing the words that come to mind. The very mechanical act of typing words on the page should be sufficient to get the creative juices flowing and for writing to begin. The words should point to an idea or an issue which will be the impetus for a full treatment. This technique works best for writers that either have read or have been exposed to a wide variety of subjects.

The stream of consciousness writing can either be fun or disastrous. This is usually a fun approach to writing as it allows a writer to explore ideas that they enjoy and things with which they are also intimately familiar. This is a personal observation, but this strategy has the palpable downside in that its success could be dependent on the writer's emotional state. If a writer is in a dark or funky mood, then, stream of consciousness could be a disastrous - if not futile exercise. If the writer is incapable of navigating past the source of the bad mood. This style of writing could also be affected by a writer's comfort in exploring the ideas that might emanate from the obscure corners of one's mind. If one is so inclined, it is possible to find and wallow in a dark mood if it helps ignite the writing process. The use of a dark mood as a creative force can be a good source of inspiration if a writer is capable of easily confronting their demons. (Think Lewis Black.) This is an easy technique to employ, usually with pleasant results. It's even more fun when used during emotionally high or emotionally intense times, and could lead to some surprising results. Fall in love – go write a few thousand words. Use that post coital euphoria to write a few thousand words as the creative juices flow easier and faster when there is no energy being expended on trying to straighten outpoints in one's outlook and reality.

If, both the word association and stream of consciousness techniques fail to sufficiently motivate the writing of a piece (post?:)); then, the observational strategies seem to be the best ways to start the juices flowing. The observational technique is just as it implies – one observes occurrences in one's universe and simply writes about them. A writer has two choices in writing observational pieces: either to simply fill the page by answering the journalistic five Ws (What, When, Where, Who, Why or hoW) or to opine about a specific occurrence. Both choices will allow for the writer's personality and style to shine through in how the writer develops the piece and is able to draw in the reader. The delayed observational technique, on the other hand, is closely related to the dark mood stream of consciousness writing, with the only exception being that a writer delays the writing process until after the writer has holistically considered an idea or an issue. The issue is allowed to ferment at the back of the writer's mind until its full maturation – then, the piece is written. The dark mood stream tends to spit out ideas in an angry, dark, funky motif while the delayed observation tends to have the benefits of a balanced approach.

Writing, much like reading, is a solitary pursuit but if done well can be a source of great enjoyment. We are able to have great conversations and share ideas with writers from past epochs, from different cultures, and writings from speakers of other languages. Even though it still sounds glib – the real trick to writing is to write. Write often, write regularly, and Have fun always!!

Today's thought is from the poet Theodore Roethke (1908 -1963): May my silences become more accurate.

Have fun always!!
***Addendum (06/19/13): I watched the movie "Finding Forrester" over this past weekend. FF tells the story of an unlikely bond that develops between an inner city kid (Rob Brown) and a reclusive author (Sean Connery). It explores all aspects of writing; the reasons why we write, how to write, how to edit and refine written pieces, and how to appreciate writing - READ :). It also considers the debilitating effects of prejudice - real and imagined. I recommend that all aspiring, serious writers watch it. Have fun always!! -TTJ

... of The Dithering Thoughts Of a Man At Sea With His Own Decisions And Feelings.

Spring is a such a beautiful time of the year. This is my favorite time to observe nature in its most verdant glory. Early spring provides me with many opportunities to go 'walkabout'. A "walkabout" is a tradition amongst the Aboriginal people of Australia when, for a short time, they disengage from the trappings of modern society to revert to a traditional lifestyle of living off the land and wandering the bush. This is usually a time to evaluate priorities, meditate, and reflect on life while reconnecting with the earth and their (Aboriginal) heritage of a nomadic lifestyle. It really is at its core an 'up yours' to the prison of modern society and an attempt to break from its artificial barriers and the control systems it creates.

Until recently most Afrikans had a similar 'up sticks' form of disengaging with modern society. Most families had two homes - one urban, one rural - and spent most weekends at the rustic home. This was a way of disengaging from the demands and rigors of living in a colonized, and European controlled society. It was a time to reflect, relax, work the land, but most importantly to be the bosses of their own lives. The major difference between the Afrikan 'up sticks' and the Australian 'walkabout' is two fold: duration and intent. The aboriginal 'walkabout' lasted longer than just a mere weekend and was more of a spiritual (if not ritual) journey. A 'walkabout' has no specific schedule while an 'up-sticks' is usually limited to weekends and public holidays.

The essence of both systems is to disengage from the crowded, harried modern society, and its multiplicity of gadgets that constantly demand our attention. These are attempts to wrest back the full control of one's outlook on life. Both systems temporarily remove the automaticity brought on by our technology dependent modern lifestyles by effectively rendering schedules and deadlines redundant. Both systems also allow people to commune with nature away from the artificially controlled environments of modern cities. However, it takes an usually high level of chutzpah to leave all the electronic gadgets behind and symbolically break free from their slavish hold in order to just wander and wonder - both personal passions and pastimes. Seriously, is there a greater joy beyond just observing nature in all its glory while ambling along at a leisurely pace? This joy still mystifies most of my friends. I am constantly asked: Where are you going? - uh-hm, for a walk. Which way are you headed? - uh-hm, I will decide when I step out of the door. How far or how many miles are you walking - uh-hm - I don't know ... I'll know when to turn back. Is this to exercise ... yeah, kinda :P They always look at me as if I have lost my marbles and ... Won't you need your phone - nope, if I should get lost I will ask for directions :) That last one further confirmed in their minds what they have suspected all along - that I was slowly losing it.

Once, I tried to explain the joys of being out in the sun and fresh (well, sorta) air but it really was a futile exercise. Scientists have written about the positive effects of spending some time daily in the sun. The sunlight helps in the natural production of vitamin D which may protect against a host of diseases, including osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon. What's more, sunlight acts on the pineal gland and produces melatonin, a hormone that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and other photoperiodic (seasonal) functions. Sunlight has other hidden benefits—like protecting against depression, insomnia, and an overactive immune system. If one combines this with some exercise - the long term physiological benefits are almost immeasurable. The blank looks spoke louder to me than the chorus of chirping crickets in their heads. I know, I'm mean like that ...

Anyway, you would understand if you ever tried to convince a sedentary person of the health benefits of walking? Or, that fries and a large diet drink is really an oxymoron? The funniest (for me and told with a straight face) was an offer to drive me to the park to sit on a bench. Really! The park is just over a mile away, we could walk there and look at the birds. The petrified look on their faces was priceless. I tried a different tack and explained it from the bookworm angle. Another waste of my time as they would only wait for the movie if the book was any good. Seriously! They do not even read books. Why do I even consider these people my friends ... Anyway, it really is an understated joy to simply wander and wonder through a great book as much as through a neighborhood - at times taking the unbeaten path to discover that little gem about a city, town, or village. There is a certain joy in stopping to read those bullshit and contrived historical markers - then, going to the library to compare what has been written about that place and how it is interpreted. The dichotomies inherent in history are always fascinating, since history is always written through the prism of the dominant section of society.

However, it remains that wandering and wondering is an acquired skill which remains illusive to most (read sedentary) folks. Beyond the overt chutzpah, one has to be mentally strong to undertake such solitary pursuits. An itinerant wanderer must to all intents and purposes be well attuned to the machinations and workings of one's mind. A weak mind will be easily distracted - hence easily bored - to undertake a wander through a town and, by default, will have to rely on some gadget to stay entertained. Theme parks and museums have since developed the guided audio tour for those less inclined to stop and read detailed annotations to pieces. A true wanderer has well developed loner instincts and is essentially comfortable with being alone - which seems rather counter-intuitive as humans are naturally gregarious creatures. Suffice it to say it takes both self awareness and skill to be able to wander off in some direction with no defined destination in mind. Why is that so difficult to comprehend?

Which brings me back to the original impetus for this posting. What does one think about when on a walkabout ... what goes through one's mind when one decides to 'up-sticks' and head nowhere? Well, really, those are the dithering thoughts of a man at sea with his own decisions and feelings.

A final thought: "If you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated. The greatest crimes in history have been perpetuated by such religious and political and racial fanatics from the persecutions of the Inquisition on down to Communist purges and Nazi genocide." Saul Alinsky in an interview with Playboy Magazine, 1972.

Have fun always!!