I don’t write in a journal everyday, but I have accumulated many entries over the past 50+ years beginning in 1966. Some items evolved into longer works. Among the leftovers little pieces survived. I thought a collection of these with a piece culled from the same date in a past year would make an interesting yearbook. The consistencies and inconsistencies of mind, skipping back and forth across time, provide varied perspectives. It is difficult to remember the context of the past we’ve lived; we also make suppositions about times that predate ourselves.

The few alterations from original drafts were to improve clarity. The worst of my work is not included. There remains enough mediocrity and immaturity to make me feel humble and you feel smart. There are also moments of accidental insight and incidental humor.

Author Stephen Crane referred to his little pieces as pills…apparently they were small and somewhat hard to swallow, but good for you.


Comments Welcome!

Sunday, August 22, 2021

Social Science and General Business

 

August 22, 1974  (I was 29)

 

Social Science and General Business

When I was in 9th grade Mr. Drobnik wanted to know

what a city manager was or

if you didn’t know that he wanted to know

the price of eggs in China

If you didn’t know he wanted to know

what did you know in no uncertain terms

You knew this was high school

He wanted to know specifically

how to balance a checkbook

and how much you paid for eggs in China

if you paid by check

We studied occupations then did oral reports

I learned some people laugh when you say

you are thinking of becoming a barber

so I added meteorologist to my list

Eventually I never cut any hair

and I only tell the weather if somebody asks

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