I once worked in a natural foods store and knew a guy who every time I saw him come in to shop, I’d say, “How’s it going, John?” and he’d say—every time— “It’s still goin’…” 

Still goin’…Breathing and vertical. That’s what we are. All of us alive. Today. Breathing and vertical.

Now some might end up not breathing. Horizontal. In a pinewood box.

In the ground. With worms and bugs and dirt.

Some might end up in a jar on a shelf. Dust. Ashes.

But we’ll stop this morbidity now and focus on the rest of us.

Breathing and vertical.

Upright, on all two legs, hopefully. If not, then still breathing and vertical.

Head up. Looking straight ahead. If not looking, then still thinking.

Still creating. We're all creating all the time in our minds...

Miles Davis—one of the baddest jazz trumpeters and musicians in the known universe once said (don’t quote me, but I did read it or hear it from him somewhere…) even if he lost a very valuable appendage found in his nether regions (which shall be nameless…) he’d still have his brain.

That’s all he’d need. His brain.

I’ll have to Google that quote.

He meant that his life was in his head. He was a creator. He needed his brain to keep creating. He lived to create.

Or something.

Allow me to have more coffee and feed the cat.

Then we’ll continue with this lesson.

Pt. 2

Breathing and vertical.

Another day alive.

Another turn at the wheel.

Another quarter in the pinball machine.

Another round of poker.

Another round of drinks.

Another slice of pizza.

Another breakfast lunch and dinner.

Another song.

We all get another chance to think or feel or breathe our way forward.

Into who we’re meant to be.

And what I’m trying to say is, chase your dreams, or let them fester. Either let that fruit of your soul bloom on the tree of your life. Or let it rot.

We all came into this life with fruit. To bloom and grow. And share. We all have some sweet damn good badass thing inside us ready to come out.

If it ain’t out yet, let it out. How? Hell if I know. You need to go deep inside yourself. Turn off the world. Those voices telling you to go left when you want to go right. Find a place where peace and kindness lives in you.

We didn’t come here to Earth to hurt each other. That’s old shit. That’s some reptilian brain stuff. That’s just repressed joy and fun turned ugly.

Once we find some semblance of goodness inside us, maybe more people can love each other.

Why not? Do we really need to continue this hate thing indefinitely?

Hell, this is getting too mushy. I’m no preacher. Maybe not all humans have love in their hearts. Who am I to say?

But there’s got to be more to this life than people being mean to each other.

And there is. It’s just we hear a LOT about the ones who can’t get it right and fuck up other people’s lives.

So I’ll stop talking about that.

Breathing and vertical.

When someone asks you “how’s it going?” Instead of rattling off all your problems or bitching about your woes, say, “It’s still going…And how are you doing?”

What beautiful thing inside needs to come out and help us all get through these days?

What fruit did you come here to share with the world?

We all came in with a tree filled with fruit.

Find that fruit and let it ripen. Then make some badass fruit salad.

And share it with the rest of us.

Do it while you’re still breathing and vertical.

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