Mind Your Ps and Qs, Son
I’ve been writing Ps & Qs for twenty years, first for the Valley Journal and now for the Sopris Sun. As you may know, Ps & Qs refers to pints & quarts, the measurements of drink used in local pubs back in the day. Aptly named, my column really began in Claddaugh Irish Pub where I would sit with my friends, waxing philosophic on any and every topic to come up…
Ontology is the branch of philosophy that studies existence, being, becoming, and reality. In other words, what it is to be a human living among other humans, gaining life experience. My take is that life is hard, and it should be. Comparable to a video game, each level contains more difficulty and/or obstacles, and sure, you can play it safe and stay at a level that you’ve already mastered, but what’s the point of that?
I am not a fan of conventionality or predictability. I much prefer magic and spontaneity. In life I seek out new people, new places, and I try to generate positive esprit in all my endeavors. And whenever I find myself in the midst of an existential crisis, I recall the words of Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter on SNL, “Just remember you’re a living organism on this planet and you’re very safe… Relax, stay inside, and listen to some music, okay? Do you have any Allman Brothers?”
I believe humor to be the elixir for what ails us in this life.
Please enjoy these ontological observations and mind your Ps & Qs!
Equanimity now
I know that Big War is our #1 industry— smirking at Big Oil & Gas and Big Pharma as it slowly tank-rolls its ginormous girth towards the finish line, but if Big War wins, won’t we all lose?
My disappearance to the desert
I think this is where bobble-heads run into trouble; they’re afraid to embrace their natural anonymity. Instead, they go chasing after an illusion of eternal youth through plastic surgery and end up looking like a muppet. Most unfortunate.
America is worth more than the sum of its parts
Barn’s burnt down–
now
I can see the moon. -Mizuta Masahide
Continue The Observation America is worth more than the sum of its parts
Signal the Ski Patrol
All the fancy-pants (literally) who like to hit the slopes to show off their moves would just be standing around in the cold like the rest of us without the patrollers (and lifties!) It taught me that money doesn’t make you anything but rich.