One Direction

 One of a couple of sprigs I still remember from glancing through Stephen Hawking's book  "A Brief History of Time" is the fact that time is a one-way arrow.  He even had a big fat arrow to illustrate - one way only.  There is no going back.  We know that we will inevitably be going forward, and that it will pass faster than we realize, making us wonder where it all went.

     So we know that we are on this one-way roller coaster that cannot be stopped, or slowed, except in our memories.  But - we can make use of this.  We can start a long-term program, knowing that the time will pass.  We can wake up every day and say to ourselves  "Today I am going to do this or that activity to put myself one day closer to my goal.  Because today I decide (again) that I am worth it, that my goal is worth pursuing, and that the time will pass either way, no matter what I do.  So it is up to me to decide - to move forward with the inexorable arrow, to be carried by time, and to carry my goal with me, and never waver.   I can ride this time train to the end, and carry my goals with me, because I am worth it!  One can harness this inevitable motion we are in, on, and a part of.

     There is no magic machine to ride backwards.  But you can swim downstream and be propelled by the movement of the universe, and take advantage of the same, day by day, hour by hour, with your consistent efforts.  

     Good luck achieving your goals, and happy holidays to all. 

Limited Lines

 

A 700-page tome can garner much praise,

netting an author fame and a big payday;.

Yet how many will read every single page,

and be able to recall the words conveyed.

A short-eight-line poem pays no bills,

nor earns an astounding commissions;

While it may lack convoluted-plot thrills,

you can read and comprehend it in seconds.

With enough time left over for coffee and texting,

or if you are exotic, an herbal tea and some sexting.

Have already robbed you of these extra seconds,

So have a nice day, and please be kind and pleasant.

Happy Winter Solstice Everyone.

Perched Atop Many Years

 

Once way back when,

in dim memories of elementary school

hallways, with clumps of bodies exiting

classrooms, I measured my progress.

The groups of younger, smaller kids kept

increasing with each passing year.

Our class got taller, until we left entirely.

We went to other schools, and

I started at the bottom again,

gradually moving up the chain.

Until that sunny Graduation day,

wearing the black gown and cap.

Another transition from top to bottom.

Starting at a new company, the

future seemed glowing and golden.

So many benefits spread out before me,

a banquet of wonderful possibilities.

The the training and learning began,

and there I was, at a lower bottom than ever.

But somehow I learned, absorbed,

ground my way slowly to a full position.

For a brief moment in time I felt on top again.

Full of impulsive arrogance, I stepped off the brink:

A succession of lesser employments unfolded.

At times I slogged higher on the hill of one of those,

and felt a bit more in control of my future destiny.

Until I finally crossed that line of Retirement and was

able to claim Social Security – talk about being on top!

Now I sit perched high above the years and gaze down.

Looking back at all of the struggles, even as I keep

my eyes sharp for gig opportunities to augment my stipend.

Worries about health and aging have replaced worries of whether

the boss is mad at me, or I screwed something up royally.

Getting up on a Monday morning and not having to rush out

is its own sweet reward, savored every single damn Monday there is.

Feelings of gratitude to have made it here to write about

“What a long, strange trip it has been” indeed.

Brooding December

 

The river is brooding and moody,

the woods quiet, nestled in sleep.

Even the deer are sheltering from

the blast of winters fury or a hunter’s slugs.

But it is still warm today…

So I hike through dry brush and packed dirt,

or trudge along sandy riverside temporarily thawed.

Not even many birds are out and about.

At least no fisher-peoples to trip over while snapping pics.

A silent, almost surreal landscape not unlike Iceland,

or Asgard -- this time of year anyway.

The day seems nice, but sky gods are plotting their

latest devastation to hurl against humanity,

while we huddle below, praying to them to

at least keep our furnaces running.

You never know what a sky god will take a notion to do!

Time to turn the thoughts to the holiday celebrations,

happier times indoors with family or friends.

Even if things are forced and endured, and

especially if events are enjoyed and savored.

It is worth it – better than being stuck outside!

A Quantum Future

 

400 qubits are enough to take over humanity?

What little value we have in the grand picture,

the overarching sweep of history, on a galactic scale.

Other civilizations may have been swallowed by their

artificial constructs, and that is what is radiating in all

of the spectrums of light throughout the universe.

Thirty years more, and we’ll all be ordering things

ready-made from factor modules, controlling it

from headsets or implants or voice or handwaves.

Wealth that was unimaginable in previous times

will be available to all – all who don’t unduly

upset the authorities in charge – or the AI in charge.

Will some of these technologies make it into space?

Certainly some, since it takes extreme technology

to even make it to outer space, and survive there.

So astronauts will lead the way, our tech demonstrators.

How long it takes to trickle to the rest of us

is a matter of conjecture and discussion.

But sometimes too much, too fast can be damaging.

Nevertheless, entire industries rise and fall on the

basis of one simple improvement, factored into all.

See you on the other side of tomorrow!