Some 8/23 Stream of Consciousness To End the Weekend

That's the spine you're looking at. Woof.

As I sat down at the brewery, I opened my notebook- it was a sad old moleskine. Nearing it's completion of pages, I wondered if it would even make it that far.    

     I stand out my backdoor on the fire escape. The apartment building is lively tonight. Above me some people throw out and organize things for a coming inspection from the city. My neighbor's windows are open as I hear a 'ding' from his kitchen. The air is cool after a storm and most people have opened their windows. My windows are open as I move inside to fold some laundry.

     Having no laundry machine is possibly the largest inconvenience of living in a studio apartment. Aside from lack of hook-ups, there's no space imaginable for it. I dump a hamper of unfolded laundry on the bed and hang some towels to finish drying. I had killed time at my sisters house cutting the grass. I even played an hour of Final Fantasy but the towels were just taking too long. Keeping with the delusion that I've got a lot to do, I pulled them before they were done. The rest of my laundry is mostly dry as I sort it out on my bed.

     I'm enjoying the chill night air pushed in with my box fan. The fan was a serious and contemplated decision. I knew it was necessary to survive the summer but put it off for as long as possible. This is how I treat most things as I fold laundry at nine pm on a Sunday night. The mild temperature makes me wonder how much longer I'll be able to wear these shorts at work. Soon it will be slacks, then slacks with long johns. My calendar has less to do with what month it is and more to do with how many layers I have to wear to work.

     The sub-tepid evening doesn't lend itself to shorts tonight and I dress in khakis with a dual pocket plaid oxford. Combined with bright white air jordans, I have no idea how this outfit would be interpreted. Given the choice, I'd wear shorts and a tank top most of the time. Somehow that would not be deemed appropriate in most social settings I find myself in. Why that is, is beyond me.

Spinning Hats and Wearing Different Plates

"Why aren't you writing, writer?" Short answer: Don't you tell me what to do.

Long answer:
Over the past few months I've been working hard to put attention towards my song writing. Lyrics and music have been coming together more and more naturally over time. I often compare writing to a muscle that needs to be kept in shape. I continue to journal so I don't forget how to English, yet that doesn't exactly leave you with any content in the mean time.



The rest of my time is spent;


It's not that I have a ton of extra space floating around on that chart and you might be saying, "I don't actually see 'writing a blog post' anywhere at all!"

Thank you, that is correct. It is so correct in fact that this post was 90% written already. I've modified the time lines to be accurate. Most of it was drafted up in April, almost five months ago. I've kept busy, to say the least.

This all relates to the wearing of different pants. Think of how often you have to change clothes. The first few times you have a new costume change, it seems to take forever and slows up your whole routine. As you practice and it becomes more familiar, it is easier and easier to switch between roles quickly.

To switch quickly between hats like this can be very difficult. Our brain likes to neatly categorize things and you have a tendency to build a whole persona around your role in any given situation. When you are constantly jumping between roles, it can get exhausting. Like spinning plates, each job you take on begins to interfere and bleed together. Each new interest must be layered and melded on  top of whatever else you have going on. It allows you to build and strengthen each skill while simultaneously working on another.

It is hard, but very achievable that you keep building on what you've got. I don't mean work/9-5 related, or monetary success but instead overall contentment. The constant jumping between roles get's easier. You manage to find time to rest and 'hear' yourself in the quiet moments between set changes.

To break it down quite simply; constantly look for the new, even if you're tired, no matter the odds.