virtualDavis

Karl Sprague (@karlsprague) just made my day! I met Karl at the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City last month, and his sunny, upbeat personality made him irresistible from our first handshake. He’s the quintessential poster boy for the Sunshine State. Here’s what he tweeted me this morning:

You pack a lot of life into a 24 hour period, don’t you? U keep us mentally sedentary folks updated on writing / travel / life

~ Karl Sprague

Wow. I think I’ll print and frame that when I get home from Costa Rica. Bold font. Hung front and center over my desk. Or my kitchen range. No, maybe nailed to a post by my garden. Hmmm. Duct taped to the wishbone of my windsurfer? Or the handlebars of my bike? Maybe I’ll just memorize it, repeat it like a mantra each morning. Or any time my enthusiasm sags…

I’m serious. What a gift! What validation. What encouragement. I wonder if Karl had any notion at all how his quick message would impact me. I’d like to think he did. He’s magnanimous, wouldn’t miss an opportunity to give, encourage, thank. And yet, I’m guessing he didn’t. I’m guessing he typed and sent that tiny little tweet out into the ether without thinking too much about it. That’s also the kind of fellow he is, generous with complements but totally unselfconscious about his generosity. Second nature. The kind of guy who smiles by default, laughs to relax, encourages because it’s his instinct.

Thank you, Karl. I’m not sure I could summarize my life’s ambitions better!

Carl Honore praises “slowness” at TED Talks (video via ted.com)

Alain de Botton examines our ideas of success and failure — and questions the assumptions underlying these two judgments. Is success always earned? Is failure? He makes an eloquent, witty case to move beyond snobbery to find true pleasure in our work. [ted.com]

Related articles

• Alain de Botton: On Pessimism (lostateminor.com)
• Atheism 2.0: Alain de Botton on TED.com (ted.com)
• You: Alain de Botton reveals plans for ‘temple to atheism’ in heart of London (guardian.co.uk)
• VIDEO: ‘We should rebrand tax as charity’ (bbc.co.uk)

Feelings exuberant as I dip my calloused fingers into the keys and let them wander around, words dribbling across the screen, reminding me that writing — at least at this basic level — has not abandoned me altogether. Neglected for so long, it’s a wonder!

For two and a half years essentially all of my productive output was eclipsed by home renovation. A scary admission, to be sure, but more easily voiced now that I’ve reemerged, now that I’m struggling back into the mainstream. Ever since January my wife and I have been concentrating on closure, whether finishing furnishing and hanging art or threatening legal recourse for contractors who’ve still failed to complete aspects of their work. And it’s working. Work has morphed into home. The beehive of tradesmen are gone, and a sun filled, almost finished home is ours to enjoy.

A bit uncanny that my last posting, “Hear a Little Music, Read a Little Poetry” is what we’ve been relearning lately. Time to slow down and savor the fruits of our labors. Sounds remotely dishonest to claim that we’ve had to relearn this, but it’s actually true. De-programming the habits we adapted to survive. Part of my unwinding will be a return to virtualDavis and e-Marginalia as well as several other new projects that I’ll share soon. Aaahhh… Glad to be back!