35 posts tagged with "Letters"

CR, Going through some journal entries from a few months ago and found this from a Seneca quote: [The wise man] does not have to walk nervously or cautiously, for he has such self confidence that he does not hesitate to make a stand against fortune and will never give ground to her.  He has no reason to fear her, since he regards as held on sufferance not only his goods and possessions and status, but even his body, his eyes and hand, and all that makes life more dear, and his very self; and he lives as though he were lent to himself and bound to return the loan on demand without complaint. Nor is he thereby cheap in his own eyes because he knows he is not his own, but he will act in all things as carefully and meticulously as a devout and holy man guards anything entrusted to him.  And whenever he is ordered to repay his debt he will not complain to Fortune, but he will say; "I thank you for what I have possessed and held.  I have looked after your property to my great benefit, but at your command I give and yield it with gratitude and good will.  If you want me still to have anything of yours I shall keep it safe; if you wish otherwise, I give back and restore to you my silver, both coined and plate, my house, and my household." Should Nature demand back what she previously entrusted to us we shall say to her too: "Take back my spirit in better shape than when you gave it.  I do not quibble or hang back:  I am willing for you to have straight away what you gave me before I was conscious--take it."  What is the harm in returning to the point from whence you came?" -Seneca, On the Shortness of Life This fleshes out the basic ideas of non-attachment and how it ensures tranquility.  I especially like the idea of "take back my spirit in better shape than you found."  Living well for the experience alone of living well and righteously.  This whole of idea of not being a slave to anything lends freedom to my thoughts and ideas. See you soon. NFH

I found I love the American West, that there's a whole hell of a lot of country out there that is still pretty untouched, that there's nothing like the warm rays of first light on a cold desert morning, that freedom is worth running fast and loose for, and that the most important things for me are happiness, health, peace, love, and joy. I've found that wealth follows all that stuff, that dogs are the ultimate animal companion, that sharing hardship with one good friend is better than dining in luxury with a hundred, and that the highest quality people and experiences come to you when you focus on doing your best in life. I've found I'd rather have less than more and that the adage, "The more you know the less you need" rings true for me. Thought you'd dig it.  Been listening to a lot of Willie Nelson lately, I've found he always affects my mood towards freedom, hobo style.  It's a good thing if I can keep a handle on it. Cheers, Nik

tough sense of humor/levity show generosity conscious of diction/vocabulary Justifiable self confidence and belief in self read for professional development Joy in their work care for others Respect for blue collar work and craftsmen Attention to detail Integrity Self awareness of ability/capability Understands the place of physicality Willingness to face facts List makers Written goals Talking to yourself Lack of patience when it comes to self improvement Taking the job seriously Desire/excitement to learn new things Willingness to eat new ideas Willing to put in time to increase competence

CR, Am reading "Let My People Go Surfing" by Chouinard and these passages stood out enough for me to adapt them to my own work, with inspiration for a more concrete personal philosophy. Cheers, NFH Philosophy of Architecture (from Let My People Go Surfing, Y Chouinard 1. Don't build a new building unless it's absolutely necessary.  The most responsible thing to do is to buy used buildings, construction materials, and furniture. 2. Try to save old or historic buildings from being torn down.  Any structural changes should honor the historical integrity of the building.  We rectify misguided "improvements" made by previous tenants and strip way fake modern facades, ending up we hope with a building that is a "gift to the neighborhood." 3. If you can't be retro, build quality.  The aesthetic life expectancy of the building should be as long as the physical material's life span. 4. Use recycled, and recyclable, materials like steel girders, studs, re-milled wood, and straw bales.  Install fixtures from waste materials like pressed sunflower hulls and agricultural waste. 5. Anything that is built should be repairable and easily maintained. 6. Buildings should be constructed to last as long as possible, even if this initially involves a higher price. 7. Each [house] must be unique.  The heroes, sports, history, and natural features of each area should be reflected and honored. Patagonia Philosophy: a deep appreciation for the environment and a strong motivation to help solve the environmental crisis; a passionate love for the natural world; a healthy skepticism toward authority; a love for difficult, human-powered sports that require practice and mastery; a disdain for motorized sports like snowmobiling or jet skiing; a bias for whacko, often self-deprecating humor; a respect for real adventure (defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive--and certainly not as the same person); a taste for real adventure; and a belief that less is more (in design and in consumption) My Philosophy: A unconditional love for individual humans I meet, a deep and loving connection for the natural world; a curiosity about how things work, a deep rooted intent to help others reach their potential; a healthy skepticism toward authority; a love for difficult, human-powered sports that require practice and mastery; a disdain for motorized sports like snowmobiling or jet skiing; a respect for real adventure (defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive--and certainly not as the same person); a taste for real adventure; and a belief that less is more (in design and in consumption)

Awesome, I'm stoked to meet him.  I'm looking forward to the Zion trip, I'm going to have to break off from the Indoc course for a day or so but that shouldn't be a big deal.  I'm thinking about building an (amateur, I know) wood bed/rack for the truck until I figure out exactly what I'm going to do.  Looking forward to talking with **** both at the Games and in Zion. I haven't read "On Combat", still finishing Blood and Thunder.  It's my bedtime book, so I'm only knocking out a few pages a day.  Not sure what's up next on the reading list, probably a good travel book about a guy and his dog. The Games are upon us, so next week is major cookie making time, then a long drive up to Aromas. Also, I think I told you already, when I get back from the Games I'm going to set a date to speak with some local SD SWAT guys re. MindEx stuff; I'll talk to **** (do you know him) when I get back about squaring that away.  Very excited about that, it will open up all kinds of doors. Re. the sheepdog stuff:  I like it and understand it, and I can really see how it resonates with many of the guys we both know.  I think there's a category that's missing.  I don't see myself (along with a few other people) as a sheep, sheepdog, or wolf.  I mean, is Billy the Indian school guy a sheep?  A sheepdog?  A wolf? I'm not super interested in protecting other folks, but am very keen on being independent and ready for the wolf when he comes slipping past the wire, more with what's at hand than any specific instrument.  Is that blindness or denial?  Are you really a sheep when you don't have a gun? "if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door."  -DG I'll tell you this; I feel more like a loosely independent feral sonofabitch that has friends in all tribes, and I'm real happy with how I live.  I've got a great wife and partner, two good dogs, and the means to always make a living within my head and my heart.  I don't feel a need to carry a gun, and I don't see the value in pinning my identification (even in a small part) on being a protector.  Maybe I've been composting my own shit too long, but I'd like to see some more gardeners, or shepherds, or wild and kind humans.  Folks without maybe the agility or natural weapons of a sheepdog or wolf, but who use their minds to do many more things than tend a flock of vegetarians.  Was Gandhi a sheep?  A sheepdog?  Hell, he was a wolf to the English, and a warrior to his core, but not in a way that fits into Grossman's categories. "But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself... "Baa." -DG Maybe he meant a weapon beyond the sense of a gun, or knife, but I don't think so.  I think this is the kind of thinking that holds us in stasis; we move neither forward nor backward.  We still have wolves and we still have bad ass sheepdogs.  It is damnably exciting to be a sheepdog (or a wolf), but it's draining too.  Even Grossman says it; you can't be a sheepdog 24/7.  Well, then who the heck are you? How do we move into a society where we don't need as many sheepdogs?  How do we create a society that is not one of sheep, or sheepdogs, but maybe something that wolves avoid...going with the animal example, why not bears?  They keep themselves to themselves, they eat just about anything they can catch, and a sane wolf stays the hell away from them. None of that is a judgment on how you live; I like what you do and I'm damn thankful for cops and soldiers; being a sheepdog is a good, honorable, difficult job where you have to make decisions every day about a line I'll hopefully never cross. I just feel that we've got a lot more discussion ahead of us before we make a 3 way split in what defines, even in a small way, a person.  I see such potential for making shepherds out of sheepdogs, something I thought of (although not by the sheep/dog/wolf definition) as a long-term goal for kyk13. Hell, re-reading that I can see maybe I'm taking it too literally (or personally).  I do want to make clear that I like sheep, sheepdogs, and even the occasional wolf, and I see a place for all of them as well as a few more animals in a good and healthy eco-system.  Looking forward to more discussion when we meet again in the flesh. Ok for now, Nik