The White Album blasting.
Incense lingering.
Coffee near drank.
Migrane proceeding.
Writer's block festering.
Stream of consciousness never-ending.
So many thoughts to manifest.
No time for rest.

Suddenly it occurs to me that my high school AP Lit and Creative Writing teacher would've canned that little rhyme. He was a tosser anyway.

Hold on, Superman calling...

Coffee is colder.
I'm getting older.

Lately I've been immersing myself in the joys of my youth, namely The Beatles with a side of Absolutely Fabulous. As New Year's Day approaches I'm reminded of the AbFab marathons that used to run on Comedy Central. I always enjoyed the yin and yang of Edina and Saffy, the electric rage of Patsy, Bubble's neurotic sense of humor, and Grandma's questionable senility. Most of all I love Eddy and Patsy's constant pursuit of cool paired with the complete conviction that they don't need anyone but each other to feel awesome. Balance has been a key concept for me lately: The Dude/Walter, Lennon/McCartney, Patsy/Edina. Life is about balance.

In high school I had this magnificent Psychology teacher named Colette Balfe. She was the embodiment of a chaotic 60's art happening, a cerebral goddess in varying shades of leopard and rainbow with no less than three pairs of glasses adorning her figure at all times. "You," she told me once, "are one of the very few self actualized students I've ever known." I love Pats and Eddie because I can relate to both of them. Truthfully I have never had more fun than I do when I am with myself. Culture, with its endless demands on our personality, can interfere with our traits that otherwise balance each other out. Good culture creates good balance. Saffy's relationship with Edina, as cockeyed of a mother-daughter thing as it is, brings a balance to the Patsy/Eddy relationship that prevents it from going over the cliff into madness. That's good culture. The string of bad boyfriends that enter in, threatening the Patsy/Eddy balance are bad culture.

Every social circle I've ever flowed in (and I've flowed in quite a few) has taught me that there can be too much of a good thing. There is always a time to leave the party and never doubt the value of a quality Irish goodbye. If people or ideas are meant to be in your life they'll be there when they are supposed to be. If not, bid them farewell with good wishes and be done. I've never been able to make one area of study the focus of my life, either. Life is about growth. Invention and innovation spring from communication and collaboration. Always leave room to throw more in the pot when you're stirring up culture stew.

Today's lesson: Go with the flow. Grab the meat, leave the bones. All things must pass, but out of death comes new life, new growth. Embrace the change.

Note: I also have an amazing Eric Cash print of the Hey Jude performance above. Fab work. Thanks, The Fest for Beatles Fans for introducing me to such an awesome artist.