Donald Miller has written a book about writing a movie about a book he wrote.  And it is great.  A Million Miles in a Thousand Years takes on the meaninglessness of life.  I’m not sure the book triumphs over life, but it will inspire you to give living a shot.  Miller is honest as usual:

“I wrote a memoir a several years ago that sold a lot of copies.  I got a big head about it for a while and thought I was an amazing writer or something, but I’ve written books since that haven’t sold, so I am increasingly insecure again and things are back to normal.”

Even if you aren’t a reader, order one to display in your library; it has a very sexy dust jacket.  If you choose to read it, you might find yourself challenged to take risks and to live a more worthwhile story.

Your friend, the health guru, he exposes your lack of discipline and your eating habits, not because he is mean-spirited; but because he is a stark contrast to your own habits.  There is Money-Management Girl, the couple who should win Parents-of-the-Year, and their children – Well-Behaved-Genius-Babies.  Don’t forget Auto Maintenance Guy, who has never had a dash light stay on for more than three days.  You love all those people; they’re friends.  But they exude an uncomfortable light.

I actually don’t like Auto Maintenance Guy anymore.

This past weekend I was asked to speak on Ecclesiastes chapter 2.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with that passage, it is THE most depressing bit in the whole bible.  Nonetheless, I did my job…

You should definitely watch this short film. One of my friends shows up near the end…

Short Film – Levi’s “Go Forth” from John Carl on Vimeo.

Two Crows

The first crow was angry when the second crow arrived.  They bounced

photo credit: furry.org.au

around and growled at each other.  They had no idea what they were doing though they had been scavenging their whole crow-lives.  In their anger, they were in fact robbing themselves the opportunity to pick clean the bones of a half eaten carcass they themselves had not killed, to split it fifty-fifty.

Because I was feeling all goo-ey from visiting my good friends in Utah, I thought I’d share one morning’s thoughts with you.  I woke up on Saturday needing to need and desiring to desire.  It felt a lot like… being alive; and being alive for just that purpose.  In SLC, Utah you get to sleep in a little because the sun takes a few extra minutes to climb the eastern mountain range.  Or you can wake up early and stand outside stupefied by the sights. I chose the latter.

This one is for my SLC friends who sleep in…  Get up!

Forgotten chunk of paintless sky softening violent peaks

And dreaming of the color-kiss when the sun will rise

An extra half-spin of the clock-face to sleep or to watch

- whichever

Both divine in their own needful right

saying good bye to last night

The Pause.  The Pause.

A demi-hour of deep

Daring me to live in the open

- exposed

And to live for just one blazing day

Until day’s death.

Prediction: Tomorrow’s Ream of Paper post will resume the theme of contentment, featuring a parable.

An old song begins, “If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, make an ugly woman your wife.”  I rejected that advice and married a beautiful woman anyhow.   Either my experience proves the song to be right or we all live in similar conditions with regard to happiness: it is a moving target at best, or even more likely, it is an emotional vapor.

Before you go accusing me of being an old curmudgeon, let me assure you that I believe in happiness; just not as a goal for real life.