"How would you rate this year for you?" my friend asked. "From a scale of one to five: one being the worst, five being the best."
I scratched my chin and cleared my throat. Then I gave my answer.
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"After a long, hard day," Sunitha says with a breathy sigh, "there's nothing I like better than to down a good cold one."
She picks up a bottle of Negra Modelo and tosses it back expertly.
You know the Wear Sunscreen Speech, right? If not, where have you been? Under a rock buried in the sand behind an outhouse on an island with dark sunglasses at night? Tsk tsk.
The Wear Sunscreen Speech—sometimes simply known as the "Sunscreen Speech", but originally called "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young"—was written by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich way back on June 1, 1997 as a fictional commencement speech that she'd like to give if she were ever asked to.
For some reason, a mischievous student decided to send the speech around as a MIT commencement speech given by Kurt Vonnegut. Weird, huh? If you've seen that email, now you know who really wrote that speech—Mary Schmich and not Kurt Vonnegut (though Vonnegut could have certainly written something just as witty & profound).
Zen is a school of thought, a state of being. A way of thinking. Traditionally, it is a school of Mahayana Buddhism known for emphasizing an acceptance of the present, embracing spontaneous action, and emancipating the self-conscious & judgmental thinking.
For better or worse, its meaning has evolved as other schools of thought have adopted and interpreted it. In the Mike Lee School of Thought, I merely make a contemporary addition to the traditional definition: excising physical belongings and converting them to a non-corporeal form, namely, the digital format. In my geeky way, this is what I call Digital Zen.
"I look forward to growing old."
"Are you insane?" Lisa gasped. She regarded me like a little puppy that just ate his own poop.
Ah yes, that ever-illusive activity, as exasperating as it is exhilarating. Both loved and loathed, dreaded and desired. Like a wish whispered under a full moon's light.
I speak of dating, of course. That favorite ritual of guys and dolls. What fun!
I'm sitting in a Barnes & Noble right now. As usual. Next to me are a father and son, sitting at a table and reading quietly.
The boy looks young; maybe first or second grade? The father looks pretty young too; maybe only a few years older than me.
Then the thought struck me: I totally want to be a father who brings his kid to Barnes & Noble too.
"God, grant me the courage to change that which I can, the serenity to accept that which I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference."
- Serenity Prayer
I find that each new year is usually better than the last. Which runs contrary to the beliefs of the Good Ole' Days. Or that your college years were the best years of your life. Or that childhood was a magically warm and fuzzy time.
Not that I'm saying those beliefs are false. Childhood was definitely warm and fuzzy. I had Puff the Magic Dragon, kids nowadays have Harry Potter. Both were and are totally real to children.
But, for me, I believe the best years are yet to come.
"Tell your mother I said, 'Word'."
- J. Byrum
If you don't have your word, you have nothing. Your word is your honor. Your integrity. You.
"Why'd you quit your job?" Tim asked.
With a glass of Macallan in my hand, I answered, "To stay true to my word."
I love a good action flick. Mindless, heart-pounding, knife-wielding, gun-totting, ass-kicking, chunk-full-of-cliches, action movie.
The hero walks into a room with a hundred bad guys. The odds are against him. They all have swords and rifles and rocket launchers. He has a pencil sharpener. And yet, he still manages to kick all of their asses.
God I love that.
Weekly random rambles, musings & writings of Mike Lee in San Francisco, CA