Observation

When describing the attributes of their ideal mate, men, like women, often say:

'I want someone with a good sense of humor.'

Meaning: 'I want someone who will laugh at all my jokes, not actually be funny, or, God forbid, funnier than me.'

This is where I go wrong at least a good 89% of the time.

-J

Because Belle totally liked the Beast before other people realized he was cool.

-J

νεῦρον

The more
i read about
the brain
the less
i feel
like using it
because if
it's all been mapped
out in advance
and nailed down to
hormones
receptors
spandrels,
and the like
it seems like its
doing enough work
on its own
without my stupidity
getting in the way


-J

Please Secure Your Own Mask Before Attempting To Help Children or Others

You learn a lot about people and human nature when you work on an airplane. When you get people operating at, what is for some, an extremely high stress level, you get to see all kinds of rude, nasty, and inappropriate behavior. I personally feel most of the negative behavior that happens is rooted pretty deeply in fear (as someone who never, ever had a fear of flying, it can be hard to be sympathetic, but its my job to be just that, so I try). I've seen grown women kick each other's seat backs, pour juice on each other's seats, and do everything associated with 5-year old children short of hair pulling. Sometimes it amusing, most of the time its annoying, and in rare instances its downright flabbergasting.

Anyway, I had intended to write a post for a long time about my observations on human nature in an oxygen deprived can 30,000 feet in the air, but something occurred to me the other day doing the safety demo that struck me as probably the biggest and most concise idea about humans I've been able to observe.

You know that part in every airplane safety demo that goes "In case of sudden loss of pressure, oxygen masks will deploy from a compartment above your head. Use the elastic strap to secure the mask around your mouth and nose. Please make sure to secure your own mask before attempting to help children or others."

'Please secure your own mask before attempting to help children or others.'

Which, basically says, 'Please, get your own shit together before attempting to even go near other people.'

You're no good to anyone if you've passed out while the plane is going down. If you don't take care of yourself, you'll never be able to take care of others.

Thanks, safety demo. I always knew there was philosophy hidden deep in you somewhere.

-J

Night Windows

This song will always be for you
The one I did not write
The one I did not sing
To you
This song will always be yours

These four lonely chords
With a bass descending,
Brings me deeper, and closer
To confronting the lonely truth
This song is yours
It will always be for you

And I only listen when
I want to imagine myself, there
On a once well-loved street,
3am, and we’re laughing
Where dry leaves now crunch
And circle around me,
Dust stinging my eyes,
As if the wind is telling me
I have no business being there

I push play, and there you are
I hum along, and you’re smiling
Looking at me from a softly-lit window
On a street where you no longer live
My feet trod where you no longer will be,
And they pound, and pound, and pound
In panic at pavement, in time with the song
I did not write for you,
As if more steps will bring me closer,
As if more time will bring you back

I’m singing your song,
The one I didn’t write for you
And I’m crying a little,
Although its very uncharacteristic
And not like me at all
But you were always doing that,
Making me human
Making me sing songs I would never write

-J

Either way, it matters not

Your eyes might be beautiful,
but I wait to find
if that makes much difference

Your eyes might be beautiful,
but there are no colors that reflect
from intertwined shadows;
I don't see you in the light.
I don't see you at all.

You eyes might be beautiful
like Grecian marble
or onyx,
or any other variety of pleasing descriptors
that surely you've heard
a hundred times over.
I would say,
but I do not know.

You eyes might be beautiful
but I do not dare to take one glance,
I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea.

Your eyes might be beautiful,
the most beautiful!
Of ship-launching variety,
capable of wrecking an ancient society,
but I do not look on them
and they do not look on me.

Your eyes might be beautiful,
or empty fruits, rotting
from the inside
still maintaining a pristine
shell of skin,
tricking some poor creature
into thinking them a viable crop.

Your eyes might be beautiful,
and they might not.
And many things
may be lots of other things-
but I've never been one to place my bets
in the palm
or, should I say,
they eye
of uncertainty.

-J

FYI

Everything you think you know is wrong.

More on that later.


-J