Thursday, September 1
I got up a few minutes after 5 and followed my usual routine. I turned on only one lamp, preferring to avoid bright light. I drank a glass of water. I boiled water, ground some dark roast coffee beans and launched a YouTube video. This morning I selected 4k scenery of The Alps with background music played at low volume.
While drinking my large mug of coffee made in a French press, I noted that my stream of conscious thought was already moving quickly. I was thinking about things planned for the day. I was thinking about this journaling project for the month of September.
As I make my coffee each morning, I try to do so with mindful awareness, being fully present, not lost in thought. I try to focus on my breath. But I have not yet tamed my mind as much as I would like to.
After coffee I had a bowl of cold cereal, All Bran Flakes.
I checked my email which I do not usually do this early in the day. As expected, there was a journal entry from Peter Limberg, Dispatches to Thumos #29. I read it and copied it into my own document. All during August I have been following along with Peter, highlighting the phrases which resonate with me. It has been three years since I discovered Peter and my interest in his work has not faded.
Next I began writing this journal entry.
There are many thoughts that I want to capture. For the month of September, it is my intention to journal every day. I want to identify where I spend my time, revealing what is currently important to me. I want to focus on what matters, what I value and what I find interesting. I want to live wisely. I want to be explicit about my own guidelines for how I am trying to live my life at this time.
One of my guidelines is Live with mindful awareness.
Another guideline is Pay attention to intention.
At 6:51 Dispatches to Thumos #30 hit my Inbox and I turned my attention to it. I do not feel Thumos the way Peter does. But I do feel very ALIVE and it feels good.
Shortly after 7 Pat got up. I moved to the couch in the living room to join her as she sipped her glass of water. As usual, we chatted about our list of things to do today. And we talked about the Trump shit show. And as usual, I did most of the talking. Pat is a good listener, a characteristic I noted on our very first date decades ago and have been grateful for this ever since.
I try to Live with gratitude.
At around 8 Pat left to get ready for her morning walk on the treadmill on our back terrace. I prepare everything for her, sweeping the terrace for dead insects and brushing the treadmill of dust and spider webs. I am grateful that Pat looks after her health and that she has a regular exercise routine.
Next I began writing July and August at EC.
After Pat was finished with the treadmill, it was my turn. I am grateful that I discovered a love for running at age fifteen and I have been doing so my whole life. And I am grateful that I can still enjoy this activity at my age now. Today I ran for 42 minutes at a pace of 10.4 kilometers per hour.
After showering it was time for breakfast, avocado toast, sausage and creamed eggs, made by Pat. We eat at 11 because Pat is on an intermittent fasting schedule. And recently she went on a Keto diet. I adjust, no problem.
While we eat we are both on our devices. I check the news headlines on CBC, The Guardian, AP and POLITICO on my smartphone. The state of the world is not good.
After breakfast, Pat and I had coffee on the terrace looking at Lake Chapala and the mountain on the other side as we do every day.
I then walked to Superlake which took about thirty minutes, stopping at the HSBC ATM along the way. I was unable to find the two items Pat wanted at Superlake. I had also arranged to meet someone at the Walmart parking lot but we failed to find each other. But I did pick up a few items at Walmart and then walked home. Several times while walking I noticed that I had become lost in thought and I made an effort to be present.
At 4 I attended the bi-weekly Emergent Commons Member Engagement Team meeting which lasted just over an hour.
At 6 I watched the news on TV, Al Jazeera on Roku. Soon dinner was ready which I took back to the den, my usual pattern. Pat and I almost always eat our dinners separately.
Around 7:30 Pat and I settled down in the living room and watched the final two episodes of an eight part series on Netflix.
At around 9:30 I took my 25mg pill of Amitriptyline which I have been doing since 2001 as a sleep aid. For my last activity of the day, I relaxed by playing Free Cell solitaire on my PC for half an hour. I went to bed shortly after 10.
Friday, September 2
I was up at 5:30 and followed my usual morning routine.
Sometimes in the morning I have thoughts related to the activities of the previous day. I suspect that my unconscious mind has been busy processing while I was sleeping. This morning I posted two comments in the Building This Community Crew space at Emergent Commons, one about The Elephant and the other about EC purposes.
On Friday mornings I have chores to do. I have two terraces to maintain. This takes about 90 minutes, sometimes longer depending on what the wind, the birds and the spiders have brought us.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays I prepare our 11 am breakfast of fruit, yogurt, granola and ground flax seed. Pat is currently skipping the granola since she is on a low carbohydrate diet for a couple of months. And she is also avoiding bananas.
After coffee I check in at Emergent Commons and then start journaling.
I work on my The SPACE and the MOVEMENT spreadsheet and shared my work with the Not Game A Crew at EC.
At mid-afternoon our delivery of groceries arrived from Pancho's Deli Market. I meet the driver and carry the bags into the house. It is my job to make sure we have enough cash on hand for this and other deliveries in our mostly cash economy.
By 4 pm I was beginning to feel mentally tired. I decided to watch the LIV GOLF tournament which was streaming free. I have been following the rise of this new organization, the controversy surrounding it and its impact on the PGA Tour.
After dinner and watching the news, I watched a long video.
Metamodern Spirituality | The Awakening Universe (w/ Bobby Azarian)
Bobby Azarian joins Brendan to discuss his new book The Romance of Reality: How the Universe Organizes Itself to Create Life, Consciousness, and Cosmic Complexity. In the first half of their conversation, Bobby presents the new cosmic narrative offered by the complexity sciences. Unlike the older, reductionist account, this is a story in which life is inevitable and part of a broader cosmic design towards greater and greater knowledge creation. Beginning with the laws of thermodynamics, Bobby recounts the emergence of order out of (and by means of) chaos; the emergence of life out of ordered structures; and the emergence of consciousness out of life. In the second part of the conversation, the two speculate on the broader significance and meaning of this new cosmic narrative. Have we only seen the beginning of the Universe's waking up? Why does the Universe appear fine-tuned for its own coming to consciousness? How do these ideas relate to religion and purpose?
Afterwards I relaxed by completing a Microsoft Jigsaw puzzle and playing solitaire on my PC.
Saturday, September 3
I am very grateful to have discovered metamodernism three years ago. And I am grateful to have discovered journaling. This morning I am combining these two interests.
Inspired by the video I watched yesterday, there are thoughts I want to capture in writing.
I am interested in grand narratives, stories, myths. One of the frames I use, one of my guidelines for living is It is all just stories, narratives, perhaps myths, all necessary. I have become interested in the work of Brendan Graham Dempsey. I decided to bring Dempsey to the attention of the Not Game A crew and added him to my spreadsheet. I am grateful to be part of a community that has members with interests similar to mine.
I got very excited exploring a new discovery which I also shared at Emergent Commons.
Road to Omega
As we sometimes do, Pat and I reversed the order of breakfast and coffee today. Next I worked on one of my most important projects, adding content to my website. All the while I was dealing with a minor frustration, waiting for my Mexican handyman to show up, which he did, about forty-five minutes late.
I needed to go out to purchase a few things. Many stores are within walking distance and I like a walking lifestyle. That is good because our vehicle is illegal and just sits in our garage. I got some coffee beans at Cafe Grano and some pills at Farmacia Guadalajara and a couple of things for Pat. We live on the mountain side of the carretera and the walk home includes several blocks going uphill.
I watched the LIV GOLF tournament for a couple of hours. I am grateful for the technology that enhanced my experience. I can cast the live stream from my laptop to my big screen TV via our wifi system. Reflecting on our consumer society, I am mildly contrarian. I agree that material goods do not satisfy but I would add an adjective in my guidelines for living. Material goods cannot fully satisfy. But we have two large screen TVs, his and hers, and I have my own space, my den, my man cave. This adds considerably to our enjoyment of life. When we custom built our house, I designed it to accommodate this feature. I am grateful that I do not need to live in a small house sharing a single small screen TV. Materials goods do make a difference. However, I very much agree that generally our consumer driven society is highly problematic. But it also should be acknowledged that materials goods make a significant difference.
After dinner, together in the living room, Pat and I watched a movie on Netflix which was not very good.
Sunday, September 4
There is a saying shared amongst retirees, “Everyday is Saturday.” But this is not entirely true. Pat and I have a very intentional change in our daily routine on Sunday. We start our day together on our terrace with coffee and some delicious baked goods. We are usually out there before the sun comes up and sunrise is often beautiful. We love this little tradition.
Breakfast on Sunday is also different. It consists of overnight oats to which I add dried blueberries and cream. Also on Sunday mornings I usually work in my garden, weeding and trimming. However, this morning I did some journaling before heading outside. I also checked in with Emergent Commons and read some comments by members I follow. And I sent our friends a Zoom link for later in the day.
After working in my garden for a couple of hours, I got on my treadmill for 36 minutes. After showering I checked in with the LIV GOLF tournament. Most of the names at the top of the leaderboard are names I am familiar with.
At 4 pm Pat and I joined our friends living in Houston, Ken and Trish Lewchuk, for a Zoom meeting that lasted about an hour. This friendship goes back over thirty years. There is a lot more I could write but I am telling the story of my life and I am not telling the stories of other people.
After Zooming, I turned my attention back to golf and I was just in time to see the three person playoff for the win. On the first extra hole, Dustin Johnson won with a dramatic eagle on hole eighteen. Many Canadians will be aware of Johnson because he married Paulina, the daughter of The Great One, Wayne Gretzky.
After dinner, Pat asked me to watch a couple of YouTube videos with her.
To end my day, I completed a jigsaw puzzle that was more difficult than most.
Monday, September 5
Neither Pat nor I slept well last night, but for different reasons. I had a very relaxing day yesterday and was puzzled by my poor sleep. Pat had angst which we talked about at length in our early morning chat. Her angst probably has a connection to one of the videos we watched yesterday, very powerful. Pat is a very private person and I will say no more about our conversation here.
I read two articles by Bobby Azarian which set my mind to racing. I made some notes and I hope to write an essay later. Writing is one way that I calm my mind when flooded.
I worked on our vehicle problem, sending some emails to customs brokers in San Diego. Shipping our vehicle to Alberta via Texas or Arizona has not been fruitful. I am on the verge of accepting this as an unsolvable problem at this time.
In the afternoon I worked on an essay, About Free Will.
In the evening I completed a couple of jigsaw puzzles and played solitaire.
Tuesday, September 6
I had another poor sleep and was up at 5. After coffee, I began the day differently. I started reading Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke, the Ajijic Book Club selection for September.
Next, I wrote Us - 2022 - September 6. This is the eleventh installment of the story of Pat and I. They are all on my website but remain unpublished. Pat is a very private person and she does not want this part of my story public at this time. I have agreed to honor her request while she is alive or until she changes her mind and gives me a green light. Consequently, one of the most important parts of my story remains untold on my website. All I will say is that we have been together for decades.
I did some stretching and exercises using elastic bands. This is an activity I would like to do more often but cannot seem to make it a habit. But hit and miss is better than nothing.
I worked at cleaning up my Gmail Inbox. I get a lot of emails and I am often on the verge of being overwhelmed. But I find these emails useful. They keep me connected to my community and my many interests. And the emails serve as reminders of items requiring followup.
I edited my latest essay, About Free Will. I published it on my website and shared it with my Crafting Communitas Crew at Emergent Commons. I started writing essays early in the pandemic and I have more planned.
And I journaled.
After dinner Pat and I watched Elvis streaming on HBO Max, a tragic story.
Wednesday, September 7
I continued reading Unbound. I processed some emails. I checked in with Emergent Commons.
Around 10:30 Pat and I walked to Dr. Leon’s office. Pat wanted to take advantage of the free bone density tests being offered. The event was well organized and we were processed quickly. Pat’s test results indicated that a daily calcium supplement was required. But when Dr. Leon saw my results he said, “Not Fair! Your results are better than mine. Keep doing whatever you are doing.”
My bone density was comfortably in the normal range and well above average for a man my age. Ironically, generally Pat is more careful than I am when it comes to diet yet my medical tests are consistently better. No doubt the difference is genetic. For me to keep doing what I am doing will be very easy.
We went to Cafe Grano for an Espresso Americano and cookies, keto diet friendly cookies for Pat.
We stopped at El Torito for some grocery items and walked up the hill to our home. I prepared some fruit and yogurt, later than usual. And I checked into Emergent Commons again.
I watched a 30 minute video, Introducing 7 communities from the Microsolidarity Network. Microsolidarity and Richard Barlett are players in the SPACE that I try to follow. I hope that someone builds a MAP of the SPACE that includes all of these little initiatives that are springing up all over the world.
I worked on my The SPACE and the MOVEMENT spreadsheet for a while, adding a new tab named Substack and began adding some links.
And I journaled.
After dinner Pat and I watched The Soloist, which we both thought was well done. I thought that Jamie Foxx did an excellent job playing a character with schizophrenia. Later I had a quick look at Wikipedia and was surprised that the movie did poorly at the box office.
Thursday, September 8
Early in the morning I read two articles about free will followed by reading a couple of chapters of Unbound. I then added the two articles to my essay about free will which I wrote a few days ago. Next I ran on the treadmill.
My run today lasted 45 minutes which was both satisfying and mildly disappointing. I had hoped to run for an hour, which I do occasionally. But my left thigh and left calf were starting to tighten by. Although the pain was not severe, I did not want to run through it and risk injury.
I almost always enjoy the experience of running. I like the rhythm and the feeling of being at home in my body. I try to be grateful that I am still able to run well. I savor the memories of past runs including the one marathon on my record.
I find it easier to direct my attention when running. But I still get lost in thought from time to time. Today my mind wandered to free will. I returned my focus to my body and my breath. I focused on the moss growing on the wall thirty feet in front of me, trying to not think, just be aware, and trying to just be and not try. I was aware of the beauty of our cactus garden. And I was aware of the lizard on a ledge about ten feet away.
We have several lizards on our property in both the front and back gardens. Pat and I consider them our friends, except when little ones get into the house. That has happened several times this year and it is my job to chase them back outside.
After coffee I worked on a search for a solution to our vehicle problem. Next I journaled. And then I checked in at Emergent Commons, making some comments on several threads.
I do not pay any attention to the NFL during the off season. But this evening is the season opener which I plan to watch. I got my head back into football by doing some research. I had a look at the power rankings, the Las Vegas 2023 Super Bowl odds and the point spread on today’s game, Buffalo -2.3. The Buffalo Bills are rated the top team by most analysts.
I was a fan of Buffalo and their quarterback, Jim Kelly, in the 1990s. I was somewhat aware of Kelly after his football career. He lost his son at a young age due to a rare disease and he became a fundraiser for the cause.
I had some time to read a couple of recent articles by Hanzi Freinacht.
Then back to football. I have an NFL Game Pass subscription and watched NFL Kickoff. In the 1970s I was a fan of The Canadian Football League and the Edmonton Eskimos but lost interest in the CFL. As I now look at the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, many of the names are familiar to me.
Earlier in the day Pat had told me that Queen Elizabeth II had died. At 6 I tuned in to Al Jazeera and watched the coverage for an hour. I thought the programming was very well done.
The football game was entertaining but not exciting, an easy win for the Buffalo Bills over the Los Angeles Rams. Watching a great quarterback like Josh Allen perform is good entertainment for me. And I also enjoyed a 10 second clip of 73 year old rocker Ozzy Osbourne performing at half-time.
Friday, September 9
I was still drinking my coffee and not doing anything else when Pat got up. Soon I was talking about matters all related to the British Royal Family. I checked a historical fact, “The new maple leaf flag was made official by a proclamation from Queen Elizabeth II on January 28, 1965.”
I remembered arguments with my mother around that event. My mother loved the Monarchy and the Union Jack, the Canadian flag. As a young teenager I was anti-monarchy and have never changed my mind. I was delighted by the new Maple Leaf flag and still think it is one of the best flags in the whole world, better than all those boring striped ones.
Pat lurks on my Facebook page and shared something which I find disturbing. One of my relatives, who I will not name, posted a warning about an evil King Charles III. She is also a devout Christian. I am no fan of Charles but labeling him evil is, in my opinion, evil and dangerous. My relative has been completely captured by conspiracy theories and is representative of thousands, perhaps millions, of others. I hope that Charles has very good security. There is probably more than one person thinking that he is an evil that should be eliminated.
Yesterday Al Jazeera covered an incident back in 2015 that I did not remember.
On Tuesday evening, at a state banquet in London hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan will be treated to the pomp and pageantry that only a monarch can bring to diplomacy. A hundred and fifty guests will dine at Buckingham Palace at a table set with King George the IV’s silver collection and napkins displaying the Queen’s monogram. For the occasion of her first state banquet, Princess Kate will wear a tiara.
It’s a warm reception for China, a country that has had a tense relationship with much of the West, and an indication that the friendship between Beijing and London is getting cozier at a moment when the U.S. and China are getting further apart. But one guest will be conspicuously absent at the state dinner: Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne.
It will be interesting to see how the new King behaves.
I am grateful that I have Pat to talk to everyday, an opportunity to share what is on my mind.
And once again, it felt like every three days it is again Friday and time to sweep the terraces.
After breakfast and coffee, I signed in to Emergent Commons and reviewed my notifications. And I journaled. And I reviewed my email Inbox.
As I occasionally do, I laid out out in the sun on the front terrace while listening to a podcast, which was very good. For some unknown reason I seem to be able to focus on podcasts better while sun tanning. The podcast was Beena Sharma (Part 2) - Vertical Development's Many Gifts: How Continuous Adult Development Becomes Possible, the Potentials It Unlocks, and How Understanding It Makes New Sense of Our World and Our Selves, presented by Deep Transformation.
After showering I read Emergentism | Introduction by Brendan Graham Dempsey. I shared it at EC and my post resulted in some discussion. One of my friends asked a thought provoking question, “Can you say what excited you about it?“
Pat rarely watches the news with me. But today we watched Al Jazeera together while eating dinner. We were both interested in the ongoing drama in the UK, over the top in my opinion.
We watched a movie together, a psychological thriller. Then to relax I completed a jigsaw puzzle. Then off to bed.
Saturday, September 10
This morning was a two Advil morning after waking up with a headache. To ease into my day, I played Jim Rutt’s little game, NetworkWars, on my smartphone. And I read a couple of chapters of Unbound.
I was reading Protect the Flame by Otto Scharmer when Pat got up at around 7:30, later than usual. I was up a couple of hours earlier and I really enjoy this time alone. I am almost always up long before the sun rises.
After chatting with Pat, I returned to Schamer’s article. It resonated strongly with me and I shared it at EC along with the comment below. Later I will check for comments by EC members.
I would like to express my deep appreciation for EC being a space where I can share articles like this, thus Making Sense Together for a More Connected World. As my connections at EC expand, my connections with family and friends shrink. We live in different worlds with no sense of a shared reality.
As an example, one of my relatives posted a warning on facebook yesterday, a warning about an evil King Charles III. She has been completely captured by conspiracy theories, as have several of other close relatives. I have had a close look at profound changes in these people and they are representative of thousands of other ordinary Canadians. And one of my best friends asserts that Canada is not changing very much.
I journaled, posted this on my website and shared a link with Pat, who proof reads and catches my spelling mistakes.
Lacking energy for anything else, I completed a couple of jigsaw puzzles in the afternoon.
Pat and I had plans for the evening, something we did little of during the pandemic. We met our friends Dee Dee Camhi and Larry Pihl for dinner at Alex's Pasta Bar. Afterwards we went to our house to watch the Regata de Globos while sharing an after dinner drink on our terrace. We are very comfortable together as a foursome, an interesting mix of personalities. Dee Dee and I met in 2016 and co-planned an Ajijic Book Club special event in 2017.
Sunday, September 11
After easing into my day with coffee while playing NetworkWars, I turned to reading.
There are three sources of content that I deem worthy of paying for - Robert Wright, Andrew Sullivan and Tomas Pueyo. This morning I read some of my backlog of articles. And a heavy rain began, wiping out my usual time in my garden on Sunday mornings.
Pat and I had our usual Sunday coffee on the terrace and relived our pleasant evening yesterday.
Next I checked in to Emergent Commons and added to several discussion threads.
Early in the afternoon, we received a delivery of groceries from Pancho’s. And today was a running day, but I had low energy and only did 33 minutes. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent watching football.
Monday, September 12
I started my day reading a couple of chapters of Unbound. And I had a lovely scheduled Zoom meeting with one of my Emergent Commons friends. And I processed some emails, worked on my spreadsheet and posted the comment below at Emergent Commons.
Today I am sad, as a Canadian, and I do not even want to discuss why. I just want to vent and share my sorrow, particularly with fellow Canadian EC members. The politics of division have arrived arrived in Canada big time, and some of my relatives are happy.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pierre-poilievre-populist-conservative-leader-wherry-1.6579019
In the afternoon I walked to Walmart and other places to get some items that Pat needed. Pancho’s did not deliver everything yesterday that she had ordered, not unusual. Generally, we find services in Mexico to be inconsistent.
After watching Al Jazeera while eating dinner, I watched Monday Night Football.
Tuesday, September 13
I read Unbound, read an article, checked EC and brought my journaling up to date.
I was expecting a Mexican handyman who had agreed to come early in the morning. But he didn’t and this is not unusual here. I sent him a message on WhatsApp but did not get a reply. In situations like this I find it very difficult to focus on other things. I did try to work on my vehicle problem and I also continued my search for a new webmaster.
I finally got a reply from the handyman saying he would come at 4:30. That freed me up to walk to Black Coffee to meet my current webmaster and pay him the $1000 pesos I owed him. We had a pleasant conversation over a cold drink.
After dinner I attended a long Zoom meeting of the Crew planning the Emergent Commons at The Stoa event.
I finished my day completing a jigsaw puzzle and playing solitaire.
Wednesday, September 14
I eased into the day drinking coffee, watching a scenic YouTube video playing NetWars and chatting with Pat when she got up. Mentally, I was processing the meeting of yesterday evening. I am very pleased to be involved but I had some minor concerns about the pace of the progress. EC is a wonderful place but sometimes it seems too focused on relationships and lacking adequate focus on tasks. However, I did not express all of my thoughts at the meeting.
When Pat went on the treadmill I read a chapter of Unbound. Next I brought this journaling project up to date. And I checked emails and checked in at Emergent Commons.
After my second coffee with Pat on our terrace, I Zoomed with one of my EC friends. We talked for an hour and twenty minutes, a very meaningful conversation, with someone who I have known for only about a year. She introduced me to https://www.nonsymbolic.org/about/ and Jeffery Martin who I had not heard of.
Pat and I walked to Super Lake and Walmart to pick up a few things. It is my job to carry the purse and carry the bags. Pat wanted to get out of the house. For most of the pandemic she was content to stay mostly at home, but now she is getting a touch of cabin fever. And I would rather walk to some place instead of walking on the treadmill.
After dinner I spent about an hour exploring Non-symbolic Consciousness. I rarely do research in the evening because I am usually mentally tired by this time. But I was very curious. I was quite surprised to find Jeffery Martin on the Team at the Neurohacker Collective, an organization with more than a few names I am familiar with. The most prominent name is DANIEL SCHMACHTENBERGER but there are others from the SPACE.
To relax, I completed a jigsaw puzzle and played solitaire.
Thursday, September 15
This was another two Advil morning and I eased into the day.
When Pat joined me she had a short video she wanted to share - Trump Asked Guy Who Brings His Diet Cokes How To Do A Coup. This got me quite excited because I thought this would be an explosive story. I was quite familiar with Maggie Haberman because I often saw her on CNN. After Pat left, I did some research. To my surprise, I found nothing in the mainstream media. I will probably do more research when I have more time.
I had a lot of energy for my turn on the treadmill. I did my first time check at 37:XX when I felt a very slight discomfort in my right hamstring. At 48:XX I noticed that my breathing was more labored and I was experiencing mild discomfort in several places but nothing serious. I set my intention to run for an hour which I love doing once in a while… 58:XX, 59:XX, 60:00! When I later logged my time I check when I last ran for an hour, early June.
While running I noticed becoming lost in thought, mostly thinking about Emergent Commons or the Maggie Haberman story. I focused on being in my body, being present, focusing on my breath, or at least focusing on focusing. I also directed my attention to my gratitude for still loving running at my age and I savored some of my great runs over the course of my life. I tried to be very aware of the rhythm of running. For me, this is an enjoyable experience which I rarely tire of.
While following the Maggie Haberman story I soon noticed that the story had moved quickly from the alternative media to the mainstream media. Pat and I have often discussed the Trump drama since he descended an escalator in Trump Tower to launch his presidential campaign on June 16, 2015. Many times I have said to Pat, “This is better than House of Cards.”
At noon I had a wonderful hour long Zoom meeting with another new friend at Emergent Commons.
Once a month on the 15th I focus on our finances. Because of My Great Mexican Misadventure I make a mortgage payment. I make a CAD$50 donation to Foodbank Lakeside. I pay my Mastercard balance and Telmex bill. I review our transactions and our cash position.
Curious because of my conversation on Wednesday, I read the Nuerohacker letter to Investors in their 2021 Report.
After dinner and the news, I watched Thursday Night Football.
Friday, September 16
Every three days is Friday and time to clean the terraces.
After coffee on the terrace with Pat, I responded to several emails, checked in at EC, journaled and posted this on my website.
I watched a third of a three and a half hour video brought to my attention by an EC member.
A History of Racial Conflict w/ Daniel Schmacthenberger and Gilbert Morris
After dinner Pat and I watched a Netflix movie.
Saturday, September 17
After my early morning chat with Pat, I read a couple of recent articles by Andrew Sullivan.
It was dry enough to work in my garden so I spent a couple of hours pulling weeds.
After coffee on the terrace with Pat, I began to work on a new task. EC wants to revisit its organizational purpose and I would like to participate in the process. I began putting some of my thoughts down on paper.
Once again I walked to Walmart. This trip was to pick up a whole roast chicken for dinner and some other items. And I appreciated the exercise.
I watched another third of the A History of Racial Conflict video.
After dinner and the news, I read a couple of chapters of Unbound. I rarely read after dinner but this is not a mentally demanding book. I want to finish it, write my report, and move on to other things.
Sunday, September 18
Pat and I had our usual early Sunday morning coffee on the terrace.
I worked in the garden for a couple of hours. The weeds continue to grow faster than I can pull them. So far, I am not getting frustrated but I am thinking about possible solutions to this challenge. What is in my control is my own attitude. I have made a decision to lower my garden maintenance standards a little bit but more is needed.
I watched the rest of the A History of Racial Conflict video. It inspires me to see two brilliant minds focused on one of the biggest problems in the USA. I reviewed some of my own book reports on the subject posted on the Ajijic Book Club website. My own thoughts feel very small in comparison to the dialogue between Daniel Schmacthenberger and Gilbert Morris. I hope that somehow their efforts make a difference.
After journaling, I turned my attention to the NFL.
Monday, September 19
After making my coffee I turned on our TV to watch coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service. The new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss was just finishing her remarks. Then there were a lot of short prayers and hymns by the choir. The service did not stir any emotions in me. But I marveled at the building, Westminster Abbey, and later skimmed its history in Wikipedia. I continued watching for over two hours, until the coffin was transferred from the gun carriage to the hearse.
When I checked my email I noticed one from my sister-in-law, Linda Goodsir, which I read immediately. It was full of news but that is not mine to share. It gave Pat and I lots to talk about later when we had coffee on the terrace.
I walked to a small grocery store we frequent to purchase strawberries and blueberries which we eat regularly with yogurt. Back home, I checked my Emergent Commons notifications. And I worked on the small project focused on a revision to the EC Purpose Statement.
After my second coffee with Pat, around 1 pm I began to feel dizzy, or so I thought. I quickly realized I was okay, saw the kitchen fan shaking a bit, and concluded I had experienced an earthquake. I went to Pat in another room and she had felt it as well.
I tackled a task that I was not looking forward to. In Canada, after turning 71 we must convert our Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) to a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF). My service representative at the HSBC Main Branch in Calgary, Alberta had informed me that I needed to come in to the Branch. When I informed her that I had no intention of traveling from Mexico to Canada this year, she did not know what else I could do. Today I phoned HSBC online support. I was again advised to go to the Branch. I explained that I lived in Mexico and had no plans to travel to Canada. I asked what the consequences would be if I did nothing to convert my RRSP. No problem, said this service rep. The system will do the conversion for you automatically after December 31st. That was a big relief. I had been concerned that my RRSP would be automatically collapsed and the funds deemed to be income for me, attracting a lot of income tax.
Today was a running day, 40 minutes on the treadmill, almost always a pleasure. At five I attended a live session at The Stoa, The Wisdom of Iris: Collaborative Sensemaking with AI w/ John Ash. Afterwards I watched the remainder of Monday Night Football.
Tuesday, September 20
I read two chapters of Unbound.
When Pat joined me, I began describing The Stoa session to her. The words flowed better this morning than they could have yesterday when I was overwhelmed by the experience. I am so deeply appreciative of Pat and her interest in what I want to share.
When she left to go exercise, I posted the following at Emergent Commons:
I became impressed with John Ash when I discovered The Purple Pill Manifesto which he created with the assistance of AI. He is a strange man in some ways, hard to follow, but he seems brilliant to me. And he has some big ideas that do not seem like nonsense. And he has apparently developed relationships with Peter Limberg and Daniel Schmachtenberger which gives him added credibility in my eyes.
My takeaways....
Irises (AI) can be used to significantly enhance group sensemaking.
Irises can be used to significantly enhance communication between two partners in intimate relationships.
Irises can be used to significantly enhance self-reflection and introspection. WOW! I am so interested in this!
Irises can be used to significantly enhance efforts to save the planet.
I have seen the future and it is leaving me behind.
In my email Inbox were messages of concern for us because of the earthquake, news of which had traveled around the world. I shared what Pat wrote late yesterday to a friend:
Yes, actually we did feel it. I was in the bedroom folding laundry and John was in the kitchen reading. I heard something on the roof and thought that the construction workers next door had done something, but they kept on drilling, seemingly oblivious. John then came into the bedroom, and I said, "Did you feel that?" He said yes, that he felt dizzy and then saw the kitchen fan shaking a little. We both figured then that it was an earthquake. It only lasted about 30 seconds for us, but there was a lot of talk on social media here. Some people said they felt dizzy for 15 - 30 minutes. Others talked about water sloshing out of their swimming pools, chandeliers and fans swinging, dogs barking, vehicles dancing, feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit, etc. The quake was in the states of Colima and Michoacan, both bordering on Jalisco.The epicentre was about 200 miles away from us. Yes, there was damage in Puerto Vallarta. Some of the hotels moved their guests to upper floors and there was talk of a tsunami. I don't know if they got one.
This is the first time we have felt an earthquake, but I remember one happened shortly after we moved to Mexico, but that time we didn't feel anything.
I hope you don't let that scare you away! Some people here from California were quite blasé about it, as they are used to that sort of thing.
Still would rather live here than go through another winter.
I walked to Cafe Grano to buy a fresh supply of coffee beans, and raspberries at the grocery store, which were not available yesterday.
On weekdays I receive an email from Mexico News Today. I do not subscribe, which limits my access to articles, and usually just read the title and first line of articles. But today I read the article about the earthquake.
7.7 magnitude quake felt in several states
And I read an article about the speech by Antonio Guterres at the United Nations.
'Our world is in peril,' UN secretary general warns general assembly
In the afternoon Pat and I walked to Walmart. While she shopped I listened to a podcast by Robert Wright.
And I journalled.
After dinner, Pat and I watched the first two episodes of a Netflix drama.
Wednesday, September 21
I finished reading Unbound, checked my emails and checked in at EC.
I worked on my Emergent Commons EC Purpose Statement document for a couple of hours.
I did some research on AI and John Ash.
I did some research on Deep Adaptation and added the links to my The SPACE and the MOVEMENT sheet. Intellectually, I am trying to remain in the liminal space between Breakthrough or Breakdown. However, I believe the probability of collapse is considerably greater than its avoidance. Yet at the same time I do not feel despair. I am very aware that 1951 was a very good year to be born and for that I am very grateful.
Our delivery from Pancho’s did not arrive. In fact, our order was not acknowledged. This is unusual so something is amiss. Pat decided that we would walk to Pranzo for dinner.
Back home, Pat and I watched two more episodes of a Netflix drama.
Thursday, September 22
Today my early morning reading was There's No One Driving the Bus by Charles Eisenstein. His article reminded me of something I had written almost a year ago. Later in the morning I posted the following on Emergent Commons:
Charles Eisenstein published this article a couple of days ago.
https://charleseisenstein.substack.com/p/theres-no-one-driving-the-bus
Below is what I wrote in October, 2021 as I watched some of my relatives becoming captured by conspiracy theories. My efforts to touch their lives in some way were unsuccessful. The gaps between us and others who are not like-minded are likely to widen in spite of our best intentions.
On the Bus
Something is wrong, very wrong. Many of us can feel it in our gut. Many of us are trying to make sense of the senseless world we now live in.
Governments tell us not to worry. We can fix this, they say. Trust us. We, the Government, are driving the bus and we will get you to the promised land.
But we have lost trust in Governments. The coronavirus pandemic was the last straw for many of us. Anyone can see the mess they made, worse in some countries than others.
The bus is headed towards the edge of the cliff and picking up speed. Somebody needs to do something. And now lots of somebodies are popping up all over the place promising to be our savior.
Some somebodies are telling us that Governments have never really been in charge. It is really an evil cabal that is driving the bus. Good, we think. Now we know what to do. We the people will expose the cabal and take over the task of driving the bus. We will save ourselves.
We rush to the front of the bus and, and, oh no, the driver’s seat is empty! NO ONE IS DRIVING THE BUS! And it is too late, the bus is going too fast and we cannot jump off as we approach the edge of the cliff.
Some on the bus are gripped with fear. NO ONE WILL SAVE US. It is too late!
Strangely, some on the bus seem to have no fear. They know the bus has no driver and is headed for the cliff. Yet somehow they have learned to HAVE NO FEAR. Maybe they know something. Or maybe this is just another story.
NO ONE IS DRIVING THE BUS. NO ONE WILL SAVE US. HAVE NO FEAR. Crazy shit.
Yesterday Pat’s lurking on local facebook groups paid off in a big way. She noticed discussion of an amnesty program for illegal vehicles in our state, Jalisco. A local individual with a good reputation was offering assistance. I contacted him and made an appointment. It took me almost an hour to walk to his place of business and it proved worthwhile.
He reviewed the documents he had asked me to bring and phoned someone in Guadalajara. The conversation was in Spanish so I did not understand one word. Next he explained to me that he could not guarantee that my vehicle would be legalized but he was willing to try. He and his colleague would attempt to make an appointment for Monday. If granted, I need to go to Guadalajara with someone and with my documents. Typical of Mexico, apparently the rules of the program are ambiguous and we will be at the mercy of the bureaucrat handling our file.
I shared this information with Pat as we had our usual coffee on the terrace. So, there is some hope. It is possible that our vehicle problem may be solved.
In the afternoon I wrote a book report on Unbound which I later published on the ABC website. Out of energy, before dinner I completed a jigsaw puzzle. Afterwards we watched two more episodes of the Netflix drama.
Friday, September 23
Yesterday there was discussion of the Charles Eisenstein article at EC. One member commented that Moloch was driving the bus. That rang a bell. I heard that somewhere before. I asked for more information which led to the long article I read early this morning.
MEDITATIONS ON MOLOCH POSTED ON JULY 30, 2014 BY SCOTT ALEXANDER
I was very impressed by this article but the message is discouraging. I decided that the article merited being added as a foundational article on my spreadsheet. And I hope to find some time to browse the many articles on this website.
And since this was Friday, I cleaned the terraces. In recent weeks we have been finding little wasp nests. Today I found seven and Pat found one. Most of them were small but one was about the size of an egg.
Our order from Pancho’s had been rescheduled to today and arrived early in the afternoon.
Yesterday I contacted my insurance broker and requested a 30 day policy for our vehicle. That went smoothly and was emailed to me this morning. However, both of my printers are not working so I downloaded the document to a flash drive and walked to a local print shop, Siker. It is my regular go to place for printing and I have noticed something. The people there are super friendly and smile and laugh a lot, lovely.
I made several comments to discussions at EC, feeling very grateful for have found this group where I feel like a valued member.
I brought this journal up to date and posted the recent entries on my website.
After dinner we watched two more episodes of the Netflix drama.
Saturday, September 24
The day began with Pat telling me about her dreams, something that happens regularly. There is often angst in her dreams and I have a theory about why this is so. But Pat is a very private person and I will say no more.
I almost never remember my dreams, not even snippets. That is true even when I get up during the night to use the bathroom. It is only as a result of listening to Pat over many years that I have come to believe that dreams have meaning. There are definitely themes and patterns in her dreams. I understand this as her subconscious mind attempting to bring certain things into her conscious awareness.
I did some exploring of the vast archive of Scott Alexander's writings.
I reviewed my Emergent Commons EC Purpose Statement document, made some revisions and posted it at EC. Later in the day I checked my EC notifications and responded to comments. I now have an abundance of friends in this online community.
Today was a running day, 45 minutes on the treadmill.
I am having an interesting email conversation with my friend Jim Kotow. He has many interests similar to mine but has a very different worldview. It took me almost an hour to write a response to his questions and comments.
After dinner Pat and I finished watching the ten episode drama on Netflix.
And I completed one more jigsaw puzzle.
Sunday, September 25
Pat and I had our weekly coffee on the terrace, beginning before dawn. After that I checked my email and my EC notifications. And then I worked in my garden for a couple of hours.
Today I initiated a new activity in the SPACE. I was aware of the rise of Clubhouse as a popular new media platform. But I never had a reason to join until recently. Now I am intrigued by the number of followers that Jenny Stefanotti has, almost 84k!. So I downloaded the app and joined Denizen. There are weekly meetings and I may attend tomorrow.
I began adding Books - Unread to my The SPACE and the MOVEMENT spreadsheet.
I journaled, posted and shared with Pat so that she can proofread.
For the rest of the day, I turned my attention to NFL football.
Monday, September 26
I had a very poor sleep and woke up at 4:30 with a bad headache. I did not feel like getting up and stayed in bed for another hour. This is what I call a two Advil morning.
On days like this, life seems harder. I have low energy and lack motivation to do much of anything. I did check my emails and checked in at EC, did some reading and a bit of work on my spreadsheet.
Early in the afternoon I took two more Advil as the headache persisted. I decided to walk to Walmart to pick up a few things. That was good for me and I felt somewhat better afterwards.
At 4 pm I joined the Denizen event at Clubhouse. I was quite disappointed. The attendance was low which surprised me. Jenny was not a strong presence herself, mostly just asking some good questions. So it was mostly a talk by the featured guest that lasted for about ninety minutes. That was followed by Q&A from attendees. I did not stay till the end and switched my attention to the news on Al Jazeera.
The main reason I was disappointed by the Denizen event was that I was not impressed by the guest, Donnie Maclurcan, Executive Director of the Post Growth Institute. He mostly was making a case against two things, debt and the making of profit in a market economy. To me, his focus seemed narrow and unsophisticated.
After dinner and the news, I watched Monday Night Football.
I took one more Advil before going to bed.
Tuesday, September 27
Related to my work on my The SPACE and the MOVEMENT spreadsheet, I began the day reading Book Review of “The Listening Society” by Brent Cooper.
Pat and I mostly chatted about our list of things to do today.
I checked my emails and checked in at EC where I had 14 notifications. There were two discussion threads to which I added my comments. One was about the war in Ukraine and the very different lens through which we view that event. The other was about HSPs, highly sensitive persons, and emergence.
Pat and I had both received emails from Canada Revenue Agency which I had a look at. It seems that for some reason they have changed our address. Because of changes in CRA security procedures I have lost online access to my account and that problem remains unresolved. I checked our HSBC account and we have not yet received our income tax refunds. I made a mental note that I will need to phone CRA next week, always an unpleasant task.
I did some preparation for the Ajijic Book Club meeting. The meeting itself was quite good as they usually are. But my decision to end my involvement with the club still feels right.
After dinner Pat and I watched a movie that was not very good.
Wednesday, September 28
Pat and I made plans for today a couple of weeks ago, a day trip to a new mall in Guadalajara. My cell phone is fully charged and so are my earbuds. I have downloaded more podcasts than I will have time to listen to. Yesterday I downloaded a document I want to read. I will check out the new mall and look for a place to eat dinner. Most of the day I plan to hang out at Starbucks while Pat shops.
The day went as planned and the logistics worked well. The driver we had booked showed up as scheduled and the Uber trip home was fine. I read the long book report that I had downloaded yesterday, read several long articles and listened to a podcast. I walked around the mall during the day but that is not of much interest to me. The mall was quite quiet, which Pat liked. But she was mildly disappointed with the clothing on the racks, too much winter stuff.
We had an enjoyable dinner with a glass of wine before heading home. Even a restaurant in a mall has more ambience than the restaurants in Ajijic. And I appreciated not driving, especially the slow going during the heavy early evening traffic.
Once home, I completed a jigsaw puzzle and then went to bed.
Thursday, September 29
I checked my email and I did some preparation for the scheduled meeting at EC later today. I walked to the store to buy berries and other items. I forgot to buy bananas so, after coffee on the terrace, I walked down the hill a second time.
I read a couple of news articles during breakfast and discussed world events with Pat during our coffee time. In my opinion, we are at the most dangerous time of my lifetime. World leaders do not know how to handle Putin. China and India have, so far, failed to threaten action against Russia if Putin uses nukes. He seems posed to annex conquered territory with the stated intention of using all means possible to defend his gains. The sabotaging of the Nord Stream pipelines is the latest escalation, reported by some as a point of no return, no chance of a peaceful resolution of the geopolitical mess.
I brought my journal up to date and I am now looking forward to the completion of this project tomorrow.
I was back on the treadmill today and ran for 7 km in 40 minutes.
I attended an EC Engagement Team meeting.
After dinner and the news, I watched Thursday Night Football.
Friday, September 30
I began the day reviewing an article I read on Wednesday, Can an AI generate — or itself have — spiritual experiences? by Jules Evans. I sent him the following email although I do not expect a reply.
Greetings Jules,
Can an AI generate — or itself have — spiritual experiences?
But can an AI truly be creative?
Are we already in the game?
What great questions!
What if an AI could read everything you have written and write with your voice?
What if a small group of people were joined by an AI that participated in a written dialogue? Could that create a better experience for everyone? Could such an experience become transformative, spiritual?
I would like to invite you to have a look at The Purple Pill Manifesto. This is a remarkable document for more than one reason. It was created by John Ash using AI.
I would be delighted to receive a response from you perhaps leading to further dialogue.
Regards,
John Stokdijk
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
Being Friday again, I cleaned the terraces.
I checked in at EC and engaged in some activity there.
In the afternoon I listened to a great podcast while suntanning - Beena Sharma (Part 3) - Vertical Development's Many Gifts: How Continuous Adult Development Becomes Possible, the Potentials It Unlocks, and How Understanding It Makes New Sense of Our World and Our Selves.
I cleaned up some dried up weeds from my garden. And I turned on the sprinkler system. We have not had any rain for about a week. The rainy season is coming to an end and we are beginning my favorite season, the dry season. There will be less humidity, fewer clouds, almost no rain and very pleasant temperatures.
In the evening I watched the first episode of How to Change Your Mind (miniseries) on Netflix. I was aware of the book which has been much discussed. I find this topic very interesting and will watch the other three episodes.
Reflections
I did not have any significant mood swings during the whole month of September. Nothing triggered a strong, negative emotional reaction. My mental health is good.
I often feel a lot of gratitude for having been born in 1951. I have lived during a time of unusual prosperity and peace. And I had the priviledge of having been born in Europe as a white, heterosexual male.
All things considered, I am very satisfied with my life. There are a few small changes that I would like to make in 2023. But I continue to feel that I am living the best years of my life.