NUMBER 5

Number 5
By Alex Ness
January 28, 2024

A GREAT PREVIOUS WEEK

I had lunch with my birth mother and her husband and it was a fun and healing time. I'd not seen her for close to four years. Life happens, so when you get a chance to catch up, you best do so. We spoke about her daughter and my sister Denise, and other family members, but with Denise having passed in 2022, it was good to speak out the grieving and cry a bit together.

Otherwise, there have been many recent weirdly good offers of work, but I don't want to move yet, and when I do, who knows to where? Each offer was interesting to me, but one paid $1000/month, one required me to move and paid less than the first one. And the last offer was interesting but, I think they won't be able to accomplish what they need to before hiring officers of the company.

Regarding who knows where or when we move, my wife works at a public school, has been highly rated, but is just 2 years younger than me, will reach retirement age somewhat soon. She wants mountains and oceans, or lakes or such. I want no neighbors. I don't think we'll end up with a compromise here, we are beginning in two vastly different realms, and the chance to meet in the middle won't please either of us. (If you must know, I want Wyoming. In the wilderness. Monthly food parcels delivered by helicopters. And a 10,000 sq foot mountain side mansion. And no neighbors for 80 miles around me.)

I was going to discuss the many wars going on and what I thought. But I can't solve it, it won't do any good to shout my views, all I want is peace on Earth. There is a dreadful election coming up in 2024 November. I dislike all the candidates so far.

WHAT I'VE BEEN READING

I have taken this time to focus on things that renew me, and there are three authors who do that for me.  Alan Dean Foster, Albert Camus, and Franz Kafka. Why them?

Alan Dean Foster writes clear, concise, cinematographic works that are fun to read, have a distinct flavor, and leave me happier for having read them.

Albert Camus quite honestly helped me overcome a desire to kill myself. It might pop up now and then, but I recognize it for what it is, and I move on. His works all ask the reader, to respond, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually to the question, why are we here?

Franz Kafka has a reputation for being a shoegazer, and absurdist, and a great writer but perhaps also a troubled soul. But his works give me hope, because inside the disaster of a life, there just might be a spark of hope, or a way to look at things and give yourself credit for trying, and growing.

Shown below, 3 books from each author.