@wolfwoman told me she missed me on Coso

I miss being here. There is an old cliche that absence makes the heart grow fonder. This is, at best, a half truth. Absence to long held, leads to distance. Absence due to apathy leads to the winter of a friendship

But absence born out of hectic days with attention back towards that horizon of connection will always bring a heart back home

What I miss about Coso is everyone of you. This vibrant and colorful community that brightens my days

Good afternoon, groovy souls!

This week has just flown by, but working a crazy amount of hours will do that. I crushed it at the gym this morning and ran an 8:54 mile, and averaged 9:30 over my 10k.

Feeling stoked and strong!

It's been raining so much I've begun to wonder if I'm going to get an invitation for a special cruise soon. The Rain is warmer here than it is in the PNW which is pretty cool.

Buddy continues to do better, they're sleeping more and needing me less!

Good morning groovy souls! I’m helping my lawyer buddy at court again so I got up early!

I’m rocking my speed on the treadmill. I held 6.5 from minute 30 to 20 then 6.6 and faster from 20 to finish!

Hello Coso Buddies!

I'm still working a lot here in Richmond, and my schedule is often full to bursting.

I'm truly missing my time here and all of you wonderful souls.

I'm crushing it at the gym lately. Running sub 10, back to doing a 10k in an hour flat.

I'm feeling good about the progress I'm making there and here. Service is the path, but somedays get a touch long.

Focusing hard on self care. I'll be back home in about a month and I've got a new tattoo to look forward to on the 23rd!

Chonky Baby! #catsofcoso

Good morning groovy souls!

I am back from the Gym, my last session for the week, and saw it through.

It was a tough workout, but a good one, and I was eager to get going on my way there.

The best news is that my buddy is finally sleeping through the night, and they are getting their appetite back!

The dawn always comes!

The last few days have been intense but save for Wednesday I was able to get to the gym. I hit it hard yesterday and again today! Here are my numbers! I’m seeing improvements!

#run #workout

Goodness, it's been a hard day already. Seeing people in constant pain can be tough on the spirit.

My line of reasoning gets stopped cold when I hit things like World War Two, where it absolutley had to be stopped, but I think about how WW2 was caused by WW1, and the desire for revenge worked into the treaty of Versailles.

Conditions have to be ripe for tyrants to rise, and so long as we continue the same patterns, the same results will arise.

And if it saves lives and changes hearts, isnt that better? If the change is more impactful and long lasting isn't that better?

As much as violence seems a quicker solution with our history of wars and what not, we can see the damage of that violence stretching out over generations of damage, not just from those that participated.

Compassion and the endurance of suffering isn't "sexy" nor is it cut and dry. It's a process, like erosion. It's a wearing down and a process of endurance, but it can and does change the world every day.

The willingness to show up and sacrifice for the betterment of one soul can change the whole world.

It's often a hard and costly road. It's what caused Thich Nhat Hanh to be exiled from his country, and it saw MLK Jr and a cadre of protesters beat savagely on Bloody Sunday on a bridge in Selma.

But through their endurance of their suffering, their refusal to rise in hatred and martial violence, did they turn things around

The incident on the Selma bridge led to the passage of civil rights acts. Hanh founded a global network that now includes his home country that is changing the world today

I've noticed lately I've been using King's speech at Wesleyan University on soul force a lot lately.

It's a prescient idea. As I reflect on this, I think it's because we make much in Western culture of the martial idea. The hero valiantly rising to beat down the bad guy.

People that don't fight are often seen as meek, or the support, but there is another way to push against the dark... Compassion.

Service is the path. This is what I am for, but after almost six months of being on, I am looking towards August with the hope of taking time for myself and recovering for a while, seeing to my own routines.

I still need to get Farthest Star out, and get back to writing. My hope is that after this initial week or two of hard recovery, she will settle and improve.

That was always the plan. I hate seeing her suffer knowing there is nothing I can do but provide palliative care.

This has been one of my more intensive "Missions" of the last few years. Every time I think things are going to slow down into a regular routine and flow, errands must be run, or things take a turn.

Her pain has been a monster to manage, and its been a struggle each day.

It's very hard to get consistent time to focus on anything outside of care. I never know how long there is going to be between requests/needs.

This is not a complaint, just me outlining my current reality.

Good morning groovy souls!

I am not heading to the gym this morning. The buddy I'm helping recover is having a terrible time. They haven't slept much at all in the last 2 days because there pain is so high. This is causing their function to degrade.

We have an emergency appointment today at 10 with their pain management specialist, and I'm hoping they'll be able to fall asleep after with some new meds which might let me catch up at the gym

The tree that does not bend, breaks in the wind!

The saying "We do not get to choose our time" has been coming up a lot in my recollection lately.

It's easy to feel powerless in the face of national decrees, and movements, but freedom is something we hold in each of our hearts with every choice we make.

It has been said that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. Dissent, ultimately, is an individual choosing their own path, come what may.

To quote King :

Hello Groovy souls! Good morning!

There's storm clouds out there on the horizon. I am feeling deeply concerned for the future of my country today, but while I hear the thunder, the storm may still yet miss us.

I am resolved to do what I can, and face the future with mindfulness and compassion.

The dawn always comes. Despair is a trap.

This city was the capitol of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, and today is one of the most liberal and progressive cities in Virginia.

Times change, as cities do, because of the people and the choices they make with their lives.

It's truly miraculous when you think about it. Anything is truly possible. I am certain there was a time when people thought Richmond would always be what it was, but change begins with every choice and every breath.