Assertion, Penetration, Equal Opportunity, Work Ethic, and Twitter Turning Purple

"...If you work hard enough, assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires. (151)"
— Malcolm Gladwell

Good morning, happy Monday. I hope you had a great weekend; we did, time with friends and family and some great food and drink. We watched some excellent programming and took it easy yesterday afternoon, we got ten plus hours of sleep last night, and we are rested and ready to take on this week’s demons and dragons.

I’ve got a full day of meetings and phone calls. I’m prepping for a couple of intense sessions this week. All good and all positive, but I need to make sure I have my data arranged and can share my unique perspective.  If you are playing at home, the year 2022 is a 1/3 over as of the end of this week. Can you believe it? Time flies.

We did binge a show yesterday afternoon; it was a true story about a young boy seven that was kidnapped from his home and returned seven years later.  Two men abducted him; they renamed him and used him as their child slave until his escape.  He returned to everyday life, they made a movie about his life, and the miniseries was up for an Emmy. The night before the Emmy awards, the young 21-year-old was killed.

A few years later, the man’s brother killed four people in a federal park. It was one of those shows you watch, and each gets more unbelievable. The interviews with the family and their interpretation of the events made for a compelling documentary.  It’s called My Name is Steven, and it’s on Hulu.

We had brunch with Carly and Nick. Nick is home for the birth of his son Bo Anson, and I think it will happen soon.  We were not set to arrive until today, but we bumped our trip up to make sure we were here for his arrival. It’s an exciting time to be welcoming our third grandchild. I suspect Cousin will be joining us soon; we are fortunate to have a wonderful family.

My wife just got up; she’s making the dog her breakfast; I suspect I’ll work this morning and then take the pup for a walk around the hood. I enjoy our walks, she’s curious, and I don’t walk her; she walks me, and it’s better that way. I think she will head to the office to wrap up a project; I might meet her for lunch. My meetings are virtual today; tomorrow, I have in-person meetings at virtual offices, like working in 2019.

I just checked the news, and we lost eight people in Indianapolis due to violence. So far this year, we have lost 68 people from senseless violence. I think all violence is senseless. Let’s lean into joy, love, and happiness and put our differences aside. What could lead to one human wanting to take the life of another?

Elon will be buying Twitter, and we might see a return to free speech on a social network. I use Twitter to find news and outrage and do not believe it is the real world. Twitter is a place for people much brighter than you and I to pontificate about their thoughts and views on everything from the sexualization of children to the “thing of the moment,” which I think right now is the Ukraine War that might change this week.

Some spring showers this morning, and then I think it will be nice this afternoon. I’m heading up to the bank to open some new accounts; that is my major trip today and meeting my bride for lunch. I might lead to the YMCA this afternoon to get some movement in; it’s been a while since we last went to the Y, but we can walk there, and it’s a little silly not to take advantage of the equipment.

It’s hard for us to get to a workout facility out west; we choose to hike; it’s the best workout we have found and does not require us to drive to get our exercise. Walking at 8232 above sea level is a challenge for most humans. It keeps us lean, but we could always do better.

There seems to be a shift happening in society, we have swung so far left, and now we are moving back to the middle; I think this is a good thing for humanity. Balance is an excellent thing; too far in either direction is a hostile universe, and common sense and logic are precious gifts we must never lose. The next time you hear some crazy shit, ask yourself, “does that make sense?”

That will do it for my Monday soup; I’m delighted you took the time to read the words of an olive-colored man with the pronouns of aught and naught, a man hopeful for the future. I think there will be fantastic opportunities for those who want to work hard, and there is treasure and gold for anyone and everyone who seeks to better their lives. There has never been a better time to be alive if you had parents and a community that taught you the value of work ethic.

"...If you work hard enough, assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires. (151)"
— Malcolm Gladwell