Futurelawyer

A Little Saturday History From Norm MacDonald.

Norm MacDonald was a genius comedian. A little history should be instructive. But, we keep making the same mistakes over and over.

Who Worries You Most? 

Galaxy SmartWatches Are The Best YOu Can Buy.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. I tend to be an early adopter of tech. It is my curse, and my job. But, Smartwatches have reached a point where the new ones are merely incrementally better, and my Galaxy Watch 6 has already had an update to the Watch 7. But, the Watch 4 in my Watch box uses the same software, Wear OS, and works perfectly. And, you can buy a new one for $90. So, if you have been on the fence about wrist computers, try the Watch 4. It's the bomb.

The Greatest Entrance Song In Baseball History.

#FridayDance - Woman And Parrot In Sync.

Simone Marstiller started the Dance Friday meme, and I have enjoyed bringing parrots into the mix. Today's contribution is really cool. Parrots can mimic human movements, as well as vocalizations. 

 

#PoetryFriday - Just Another Day In Paradise.

Living in Florida, five minutes from some of the most beautiful beaches on the planet, is a gift that we don't always recognize. The familiar becomes commonplace. However, sitting next to a fire on a beach at sunset, in one of the most beautiful places in the world, can bring back feelings that seem long ago, and far away. 

He sat next to her,

watching the sun fall into the Gulf.

The yellow turned into a passionate red.

The palm trees and the beach umbrellas,

swaying in the breeze,

and the powdery sand,

white in the sun,

faded into gray and then black,

as the light disappeared on the horizon.

She held his hand tightly,

with a strength of purpose

and a passion

he hadn’t felt in a long time.

It felt like eternity.

When the fire pit wall

lit the night

and the flames danced,

he felt her soul

reach out to touch his.

He knew the magic

of recognition.

Her skin was burnished

in the golden light,

and he gently stroked her arm

stopping often

to squeeze it

in a sign of his devotion.

In his mind’s eye

he was transported to another beach

with sand like diamonds

and translucent smoke

rising from a distant campfire.

It felt like eternity.

He would lie with her

for all of time,

next to an ocean

teeming with life

and comfortable with death.

It would always be

just another day

in paradise.

#TBT - Ignore The Advice - Don't Be This Guy.

I ignored all of the health guru advice. I didn't worry about the things they told me to worry about. I made it to 77 anyway. Life is a crapshoot. Eat what you want.

A New Broom Sweeps Clean.

Wouldn't it be nice if the people who believe in reincarnation were right? We won't know until we die, of course. But, we can dream. But, life without death would make rebirth, redemption, and reincarnation impossible. 

As he pushed the broom across the empty floor,

he noticed the empty paper cups,

turned on their side.

They lay like soldiers dead on a battlefield.

The dead and dying ribbons,

used up napkins,

plastic silverware,

they never lived

here anyway.

The party,

like all parties,

had come to an end,

and he was left to clean up

the detritus of other people’s living.

He wondered

whether he would begin to live again.

In his dreams,

she floated into his consciousness,

an image of loveliness,

borne on a silver chariot,

brimming with promise.

Had he met his muse?

He felt safe in her arms,

Wrapped in surrender,

Seeking the promise of Love,

and kissing away

the hurt of past lives.

Could they find themselves

On a newly clean dance floor,

free from other people’s messes,

free to create their own new life

and free to love again?

It would be nice to be able to love again completely,

he thought,

as he reached across the bed

to touch her skin,

and lost himself in her embrace.

Dust To Ashes.

He left the unmade bed

and the desk’s dark clutter.

The ceiling was still gray

from the time she set the furniture on fire.

But,

everything had to be the same.

The crib was naked.

He turned and watched the curtains dance,

sensuously.

The bathroom was sterile.

He lit a candle,

in remembrance,

to remember.

He had to hang her stockings,

to remember.

His cigarette went out.

He lit another,

properly placed it in the ashtray.

He was careful to apply the correct amount of lipstick

to the filter.

He heard the phone ring,

heard it say,

I’m Sorry, and

it won’t be the same.

No, he said,

and hung up,

feeling sick.

He stroked the cigarette,

and the right mixture of ash

fell silently,

and replaced some dust

his moving had disturbed.

Agnostic? Pray Anyway.

I suppose I have always had a problem with people who claim to know God, and who claim to know what He would say to us. No human being can authoritatively know what God, if he exists, would say. Such a claim is clearly delusional. Now, having Faith in God is another thing entirely. But, it must always be couched in doubt. Most of us, regardless of religion or upbringing, struggle with the concept of God. I like Marcus Aurelius' take. It really doesn't matter, one way or the other. We should live good lives anyway.

He grew up around severe nuns,

in starched habits.

They told him that,

if he didn’t do what they said,

he would burn in the fires of Hell.

He began to pray.

He prayed to be spared the eternal flames,

and adjusted his behavior.

Then, he was told that a wafer,

baked by a local baker,

was actually the Body and Blood

of God,

and he was commanded to eat it to live.

Again, he did as he was told;

although, he wondered how this was possible,

and

he continued to pray.

As he grew older,

his sexual urges emerged,

and he was again told that such behavior

would result in Hellfire and Brimstone.

He was conflicted about such natural feelings,

and what he was being told.

But,

he continued to pray.

He realized, as he grew older,

that the believers, unlike both the Agnostics and the Atheists,

believed in something they couldn’t explain.

They called it Faith,

and he thought it sounded like wishful thinking.

He realized that it was possible

that everyone was wrong.

He realized that nobody could know

what was on the other side of midnight.

But,

he continued to pray.

After a while,

he knew that praying

had become a meditation.

It was a way to be mindful

of his existence.

It was a way to recognize his

insignificance in the universe.

It didn't prove God's existence,

one way or the other, but

still,

he continued to pray.

Then, one day,

while he was pretending to understand the cosmos,

and praying to a God he was unsure existed,

he saw a photograph of a galaxy.

It was sizzling with exploding stars,

and bubbling chaos

that was impossible for a human mind to understand,

much less to create.

He realized it no longer mattered what his thoughts were called.

There was something in the universe

greater than himself,

and it didn’t matter what you called it.

He continued to pray.

Can You Dance?

We all have fears and anxieties. They become amplified in a new relationship. However, it is my experience that it is always better to ignore your anxiety, and be genuine in your interactions. If it is right, you don't need to worry. If it is wrong, you will save much heartache on both sides by avoiding conflict.

Can you dance?

she said

Coyly.

He thought quickly

Where are my words now?

Surely, they will not fail me now.

In an instant

he knew

that the dance he danced each day

did not count.

The many moments that his truth

danced out of reach,

and his dancing words

hung

swinging

from the top of the business tree

Dangling

like participles

in a grammarian nightmare.

Can you dance?

Of course, he thought.

I dance around my feelings

every day.

If I stop to feel them,

I know that I will surely die.

Can you dance?

Oh, yes, I can.

What kind of dance would you like?

I dance the dance of the runner,

running away

and still away.

I dance the dance of the dreamer,

wishing for a slow and easy pace,

hoping against hope

that the music will follow my lead.

Can you dance?

Can you teach me?