LIVING DREAMS

Hopeful. Inspired. These are the words of the day. I love inauguration day because it's the best and greatest sign of a successful democracy. No bullets to our heads. No ideological marching. No violent demonstrations. No destruction. I hope that it becomes what the speeches tell us... but I'm aware, in the back of my fuzzy brain, that there are a lot of big guns out there aiming for their piece of the pie and often people in power are loathe to let any go. I like the idea of aiming high, so let's go with that. And while it is a great gift to be a good listener, to be open to all sides, and to craft a well-balanced solution, one often ends up with a bland but diluted version of the dream. It's like selecting art by committee. You'll always end up with art that nobody hates but nobody really likes. It takes some bold moves to draw a line in the sand and push the Titanic away from iceberg. If you do it right, you're gonna piss off a lot of people -- hopefully

There's this strange idea about resolutions -- and I have to admit that it sounds appealing. But in reality, I've never even thought out about assigning myself any. Seems like work. There's some work simmering in the back of my mind -- photos, videos, writing. I think I'll do something this year, whatever emerges. Sometimes we get comfortable, or tired, and just forget who we wanted to be and what we wanted to do. So I randomly kick myself in the pants to recharge the batteries and keep myself on track. Keep on swimmin'... It's really all about just getting up and getting out the door. Life does the rest. But that first part sure is hard, no doubt. 2009 is supposed to be all about me, and of course my soon-to-be 13-year-old. O with the skeleton of the prehistoric alligator We had a great visit to the Oakland Zoo with the twins, and met up with Miss Connie and Matias. I love little adventures like this. Life is now. What is your life?