Ā
Damn. I had no idea I would live this long.
I probably would have stayed out of the sun more.
And learned to type.
And not quit piano lessons after 6 months.
Other than those things, Iām pretty damn happy with this life.
Iām grateful for this bodyāāāI canāt believe it works so well considering how poorly Iāve treated it at times.
Iām grateful for my mindāāāeven though it tends to run the show too often.
Iām grateful I was born in a time before screens. I spent most my youth playing outside. I remember when we got Pong for Xmas.
Iām grateful I was raised with naĆÆve idealismāāāfilled with hope for America and humanity.
Iām grateful I was born before cable or streaming or VCRās. If you missed āThe A-Team,ā you missed it.Ā
Iām grateful I got to travel Europe before the Internet. I was gone for 4 months and called home once. If the train didnāt leave for 6 hours, I read books or visited a tea house.
Iām grateful I was shown the Internet early and got to ride a magical, sparsely populated information superhighway towards Utopia.
Iām grateful I got to be a digital explorer and try things that had never been done before.
Iām grateful for Burning Manāāāwhose Principles and community touched all aspects of my life.
Iām grateful I was exposed to psychedelics, Alan Watts, and Jacob Glass (Who taught me about A Course in Miracles, Eckart Tolle, & Byron Katie).
Iām grateful I got to overlap my Grandpa Calebās final chapter and absorb so much of his wisdom and gratitude.
Iām grateful for the inspiring role-modeling of my father.
Iām grateful for the all-encompassing love given me by my mother.
Iām grateful for the soul-deep companionship of my brilliant brother.
Iām grateful for my friends. So much laughter. So much growth. So much celebration!
Iām grateful for Asher who has shown me a piece of my heart that Iād never seen.
Iām grateful for the digital connections over the years who have made my life felt filled with love.
Iām grateful for my trauma and strugglesāāāWithout which this human classroom would never be as rich or rewarding.
Iām grateful knowing this life is finite, but my spirit is not. So I can appreciate the precious moments, and know that no matter what, all is good.
Iām grateful for my gratitude practice, and everyone who has shared gratitude with me.
Iām grateful for another year.Ā
Thank you for being a part of it.
Ā I love you.
-John
p.s. Here are a couple videos from my recent āfollow the signsā road trip to Mammoth.
Happy Birthday Halcyon! We are birthday twins!
Paljon onnea isosydƤmiselle halaaja-enkelille! āØšŖ½