Beyond the generator

Last week was the generator, and this week a new water tank for the well system. Owning a home is much like software development — finding and fixing the bugs that show up, endlessly upgrading, aligning with new operating systems, and eventually totally replatforming.

That said, my home constantly reminds me of the ebb and flow of time. When diagnosing the water leak, the technician’s first comment was “this tank is 18 years old — they are really only meant for 20 years at best.” In that moment, thinking about a time 18 years ago when that tank was installed, and how a future 20 years hence must have seemed so far away to the people building this house. Now that future is here, isn’t it? And where will I be in 18-20 years when it is time to replace this new tank?

Last weekend we took the 3-yr old to his first movie theater experience! Again, my mind thinks about time past and future in the moment, him sitting there transfixed by the big screen (after some initial trepidation) watching Moana and Maui do their thing. A few years ago, we all were asking if movie theaters are dead. At this early matinee the theater was mostly empty, but the wonder and awe of it for the kid made it clear to me that there is something very special about the big screen.

My wife and I watched Rhythm + Flow Season 2 on Netflix. If you are a fan of Rap and Hip-Hop at all, I highly recommend it. If you are not a fan of Rap and Hip-Hop at all, I also highly recommend it. There is a realism to this competition not usually found on TV, especially commercially sponsored networks. Love or hate Netflix, it allows shows the freedom to express themselves in a genuine way (“genuine” within the context of it still being for-profit TV…). We were a bit surprised, and a little disappointed, in the winner, but that is the nature of a competition. All of the artists were unique and brought their sound and vision to life.

Listening to Rap always makes me yearn to return to writing poetry. I went through several years of intense focus on my poetry, working with a coach and writing something every week. I improved, even if I could never match my own unrealistic expectations. Poetry also connects me to time — the moment in my life when I wrote something shines through years later.

Here is a poem from June 2021: