Lists

It’s the end of a calendar year and thus best of year lists appear everywhere.

The Year in Cheer. 183 ways the world got better in 2022.
The Year in Cheer

New Atlas selection of photography of 2022:

Following another incredible year of spectacular photography contests, we’ve gathered a hand-picked selection of the best of the best. From curious polar bears to parasitic fungi, these are some of the most impressive images of 2022.
Link to the gallery.

Age

The older I become…

  • the more I enjoy finding that one musical note that fits the space that surrounds it. If I can find that one note, then I won’t have to play all of the other notes that I would only play because I haven’t found the one note.
  • the more I dig Laozi. I often pick up one of several translations of the Tao Te Ching I have and pick a random page to read. It’s always good.
  • the less I care about defining myself. Not eating meat, I would not call myself a vegetarian, for example. I am neither a drinker nor a tea-totaler. In my opinion every definition is a new border that has to be guarded in some way, which takes energy away from creativity. This is even more true in terms of music and art. Let the landscape show the lay of the land, rather than a bunch of fences that only make it more difficult to roam. Defining oneself is, perhaps, for younger humans who are figuring out who they are. I have had to live with myself long enough that I don’t need labeling. Religion, politics… the less labels the better. Look at issues and deal with arising problems. Simply create and worry about what it is that was created later…
  • the more I re-read a message or an email one more time before I send it off… and often I choose not reply at all
  • the more I feel that walking is my favorite mode of moving through a landscape. A car, a bus, and even a bike get you there much faster, but walking simply leaves one more open to encounters, with the surroundings and with other beings.