Musing while looking up at the stars is the cliche to end all cliches - yet it never actually gets old. With each generation a new group of stargazers walks the Earth.

A couple nights ago I was out jogging, and I came upon a part of the street where the trees fall back and no streetlights interfere with a clear view of the sky above. I've walked and run there often, but that night as I came into the clearing, Orion, standing upright, burst into my view so suddenly I had to stop. In...

You know you've written enough, not once you've reached a certain word count, but once you've said everything you need to say.

You know you've eaten enough, not once your plate or the table are empty, but once you are no longer hungry.

You know you've slept enough, not once you reach a round number of hours, but once you awaken refreshed.

You know you've loved enough, not once your relationship lasts for a year or ten or once you've completed a friendship...

A few months ago, I entered three poems in a writing contest. The deadline for entry had been extended an extra few days, and I heard about it during that extended period, so I decided it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Then for months I waited for the announcement scheduled in January, wondering whether my work would make the cut. Today I received the email listing the winners, runners up, and finalists out of over 3000 entries. My name did not appear on any of the lists.

...

Something I've been coming to realize lately is that you can be "productive" even when you're not actively producing anything. Resting, thinking, and exploring ideas can regenerate the soul and the body and prepare you for the tasks ahead of you in a future you cannot predict but which is purposeful nonetheless. While others rush from activity to activity, sitting and doing nothing is sometimes the most productive thing you can do. So when your body and mind tell you to rest, you can rest...

Ain't it about time for an update?

I get introspective sometimes and think about posting those musings here, but there really isn't anything new to tell. Having already described my emerging from depression, you know I'm getting better all the time (OK, yes, there are evenings spent on games rather than work, but I'm doing better than I was). I'm exercising more than I used to (which, particularly at my age, is a good thing). I'm feeling pretty good. Well, except for this cold......