It’s a full moon tonight
And everything is just alright.

Congratulations to Rio de Janeiro for winning the right to host the 2016 Olympics. I was rooting for Chicago, and by extension the USA, but I must confess to rooting for Rio a little bit.

I’m a self-proclaimed underdog champion and thought it only “fair” to give them a chance to host since they never had. Furthermore, being an intrepid traveler who has been to five out of seven of the continents; I now have a reason to travel to South America to make it six out of seven. [Now all I need to do is move Antarctica to my bucket list and off the list we procrastinator's have that rhymes with bucket.]

Like Rio, I look forward to the coming months and years to plan and prepare to write about and report on South America generally and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in particular.

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Paulo Coelho (one of Brazil’s most successful novelist)

I love the concept of the do-over. Kids have it right. When they come to a situation in life (which is the playground for them) that seems hopeless and unresolvable, they just call for a do-over. Let’s try it again. Life has many built in chances to reflect, review, and re-evaluate. The beginning of the month is one of them.

Today is October 1st; a new month in a new season. Here are a few October observances that can open opportunities to think about ourselves and our world in a larger and newer and liberating context:

Month long: Breast Cancer Awareness Month, National Arts and Humanities Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Filipino American History Month, Energy Awareness Month, National Pizza Month(yum!), etc.

Special Weeks: Get organized (first full), fire prevention (first full), Peace, Friendship, and Good Will (last).

There are many other days and weeks to celebrate in October. Free your mind and the rest will follow!

Happy October, Y’all

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”

It Is Fall After All
by William Visher

The leaves are dusting the ground
and changing from green to yellow and brown
It is fall after all

The kids are back in school
and dealing with books and dirty looks
It is fall after all

Summer is fading away
And soon won’t have anything much to say
It is fall after all

Winter will soon be here
With shorter days and weather drear
It is fall after all

The air is crisp and clean
The landscape rarely a prettier scene
It is fall after all.

OK everybody let’s go over it one more time…the mike is ALWAYS live. (Just keep saying that to yourselves.)

What is it with us these days? And by us I mean humans. Is it my imagination or do we continue to exhibit and/or revel in bad behavior? Have manners and civility gone out of fashion? Last night I watched one recording artist “diss” another recording artist live and on stage for no apparent reason other than a personal one.[ I guess waiting until later to express that opinion was not an option.] Last week a member of the government committed a severe breech of U.S. protocol by shouting down the president during a speech to Congress. First time ever.

Television is becoming fuller of people who will shout down, spit on, punch, slap, betray, double-time, and misuse others for…money? ratings? fame? That’s a helluva price to pay for 15 minutes. But, are we as a society buying what they are selling or are they selling what we’re buying? Who begats what? Aren’t there some things that are too expensive to sell and trade for? Like peace and kindness and goodness.

Words Mean Things

In Hyannis Port,
Massachusetts,
the lion sleeps tonight.

I figured I’d better get something up before too much time passed.

Goodnight and goodbye Walter