I wasn’t sure what to write about today. I took the day off of work to sleep in and rest, and the cold I contracted has been on the average to milder side, fortunately. I’ve been less pissy today, and accepted that sometimes, shit happens like getting sick, if you aren’t social distancing and masking 24/7. Sometimes I feel like “why me,” since I feel like I take good care of my health but feel like I get sick more than the average person. That said, when you’re sick, it’s too easy to forget that everyone gets exposed to respiratory viruses. Everyone from Taylor Swift to Geddy Lee have had to cancel live concerts from getting colds. Just hoping I recover quickly more than anything.

Recently, I heard Jim Hacking, the YouTube immigration lawyer I’ve been following closely, encourage people to just “continue to do the next right thing” when anxious about travel and visa bans. I’ve been trying to “do the next right thing” with getting better from illness. Yes, it’s true with immigration by filing applications so any delays are due to the government, not the applicant. But it’s also just a good life philosophy I strive to follow!

Although Hacking apparently became a muslim later in life when marrying his Egyptian-born wife (he is the only specific person I’ve heard about that identifies as both white and muslim), he rather unexpectedly quoted the Serenity Prayer. I was really surprised given that he’s muslim, but I’m sure as a Gen X U.S.-born white guy in the midwest, he has no shortage of indirect Christian ties too. I mistakenly thought the Serenity Prayer was part of the Bible, but I read it has long standing old roots in American Christian theology dating back to the 1940s, and AA sobriety programs? I thought it was worth re-quoting, since a reminder for all of us from time to time is good:

“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Amen to that.

Anyways, I had all sorts of random ideas of what to discuss today, but I also wanted to reshare the Missives From Samsara blog post regarding the Kitchen Dwellers. They were the first band I got to see in Denver at Sculpture Park on July 9, 2021 open for my first ever Goose show, and my first outdoor concert after the pandemic hiatus. I don’t typically listen to much “jamgrass” casually at home, but always enjoy seeing it live. A must watch! www.youtube.com/watch

Indeed, it was well said that masked gestapo in the streets is NOT just a problem for immigrants, it’s a problem for ALL of us. Once civil rights deteriorate for one oppressed group, it’s much easier to destroy them for privileged groups, until eventually, everyone is oppressed. It’s why community matters, and gathering of hippies is truly a good start… lol!

The Kitchen Dwellers also covered one of my favorite Widespread Panic songs, “Chilly Water” from this same night 1/24/26 found on their YouTube page. Good stuff!

Last, and only tangentially related: I’ve been loving the SNL clips of late, which hilariously and brilliantly excoriate the current dumpster fire, namely the Cold Open, and Weekend Update skits. Will post more about those sometime soon!