Joe the Barber
THE BARBER OF TRENTON
Marriage Story
Version 2
Eloise woke early on a Saturday morning. The bedroom was filled with light and the sheer curtains hanging over the large windows danced lightly in the cool breeze. She sat straight up in bed and stretched her arms out overhead, twisted her body to the left and let out a pleasant sigh as she yawned trying to wake her body up. She could smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Fred, her husband, had gotten up earlier and went downstairs to make the coffee. This made Eloise happy. She got out of bed and put on her white silk dressing gown and went downstairs to meet the day. She was lighthearted and there was a spring in her step as she walked down the steps. On the way down she noticed the pictures of Brigid, her daughter, in a series from when she was a little girl until she was grown. These pictures were hung on the wall in stages as one descended the stairs and told the life story of little girl who grew into a beautiful woman. It had been her wedding day just a few short days ago and she was now on her honeymoon with her new husband, Bob. The newlyweds traveled to Paris right after they got married. Eloise could not be happier. She felt like it was a good match and that Bob and Brigid were a good fit together.
After coffee, Eloise decided to go out into her garden and pull weeds. It was situated in the backyard of their spacious house next to the pool. The house was a two-story Colonial located in a subdivision in the east part of town. The rooms were light and airy and filled with beautiful furniture. They had lived there the whole time Brigid was growing up. Now that she was gone Eloise would have to find more ways to spend her time. She couldn’t help but being happy for her though and a great feeling of pride rose in her bosom as she gazed out over her flowers.
Marriage Story
Version One
Fred descended the stairs in the gloom of the early morning and headed to the kitchen for his first cup of coffee. The ancient wooden steps creaked under each of his footfalls as he traversed the stairs. He walked slowly through the dark hallway into the living room to pick up the morning paper so he would have something to read with his coffee. He noticed the tattered tapestries hanging from the dark gray walls which perfectly matched his mood for the day. He has been living in an atmosphere of sorrow ever since the day his only daughter, Melissande, left home with that guy from the carnival, Lukas.
Once in the kitchen Fred opened a tin of expresso coffee and filled the filter basket. The window of the kitchen looked out over a dull and deadly terrain. Viewed from the outside the window looked like a vacant eye. There was a large tree in the center of the yard which was still hidden in shadows. It had been struck by lightning a few years back and was in a steady state of dying. There was a malodorous fragrance wafting inside through the open window from the slate colored pond that smelled like decaying organic matter. Fred closed the window, nearly gagging as he did so.
As he drank his coffee Fred looked around. A lot needed to be done he thought. This kitchen is a mess. The dishes have piled up in the sink ever since she left begging to be washed. There were crumbs on the counters and in the corners the linoleum was starting to curl up. Oh well, he said to himself. I’ll get started tomorrow. Maybe she’ll stop by for a visit someday this week.
Fred sighed and drank his coffee. Then he put his head down on his arms resting on the table and you could see his shoulders gently rise and fall.
INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION (1970)
Movie Blurb
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970). Directed by Elio Petri, starring Gian Maria Volonte and Florinde Bolkan. This is a nice little piece of Italian surrealism. Kafkaesque and so direct. Beautifully photographed in Technicolor. The colors are muted but strong. Score by the inimitable Ennio Morricone, which I found bit quirky but, given the material works. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. .
A chief of detectives, homicide section, kills his mistress and deliberately leaves clues to prove his own responsibility for the crime.
A little heavy handed politically but all satire is hyperbolic, that is what makes it satire
Highly rated and recommended.
Available on the Criterion Channel on Amazon Prime.
THE BRIDGES OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
Photo Essay
In the days of Coronavirus, during the lock down, my travel, like everyone else, was restricted. So, I stayed within the environs of my hometown, Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville is a pretty little town located along the banks of the Ohio River. It has been described by some as the gateway to the south. Mainly known for Churchill Downs and bourbon it has more than its fair share of pretty women and all the children are above average. In the mornings I would sometimes go down to the river and walk across the Big 4 Bridge and take pictures. This is what I saw.
RIGHT MINDFULNESS
Buddhism by the Numbers
Right Mindfulness
- Mindfulness is remembering to come back to the present moment.
- Right mindfulness accepts everything without judging or reacting. It is inclusive and loving.
- The practice is to find a way to sustain appropriate attention throughout the day.
The Seven Miracles of Mindfulness
- Be present
- Make the other present also
- Nourish the object of your attention
- Relieve the other’s suffering
- Looking deeply
- Understanding (the foundation of love).
- Transformation
The Four Establishments of Mindfulness
- Mindfulness of the body in the body
- Mindfulness of the feelings in the feelings
- Mindfulness of the mind in the mind
- Mindfulness of phenomena in phenomena (object of our mind)
Six Elements
- Earth
- Water
- Fire
- Air
- Space
- Consciousness
If we observe these six elements inside us and around us, we see that we are not separate from the universe. This insight free us from the idea of birth and death.
- Anxiety comes primarily from our inability to dwell in the present moment.
- Letting go is a practice that can bring us a lot of happiness.
- What is essential is to be alive and present to all the wonders of life that are available.
- Threefold training: precepts, concentration, and insight.
- The practice of the precepts is the practice of Right Mindfulness. If we don’t practice the precepts, we are not practicing mindfulness. The heart of the Buddhist Meditation is the practice of mindfulness and mindfulness is the practice of the precepts.
- Look deeply at your hand and see the Buddha Eye in it. The hand represents action and the eye represents insight and understanding.
Based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh
Photo credit: Benn Bell
Haiku for You
From a mile away
those pink and fuchsia blouses
on a cloudy day.
RIGHT THINKING
Buddhism by the Numbers
Right Thinking
- Thinking is the speech of the mind.
- Right thinking leads to Right Action.
- When we concentrate on our breathing, we bring body and mind back together and become whole.
- Mindful breathing helps us stop being preoccupied by sorrows of the past and anxieties of the future. It helps us to be in touch with life in the present moment.
Four Practices Related to Right Thinking
- Are you sure?
- What am I doing?
- Hello habit energy.
- Bodhichitta – Mind of love.
Based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn
BLACK LIVES MATTER
No Justice No Peace
Black Lives Matter. All lives matter is frequently clapped back. All lives most certainly do matter. Emphatically, unquestionably, indubitably. But right now, we are focused on the Black Lives lost and the injustice that has been visited upon the black community for 400 years. We are focused on the lives lost by George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arberry, and many more. There have been protests in the street for weeks across the nation against police brutality and the extrajudicious killings of black folk and white folk alike. Here, in a photo essay are some of the expressions of the protests and the outrage. All pictures were taken by me in Louisville, Kentucky where Breonna Taylor was gunned down in her own apartment by police who executed a “no knock warrant.” One of the officers who participated in the raid has been fired. No one has been charged. There still is no justice for Breonna.
Sunday Morning
On this beautiful Sunday morning
yellow sunshine coming down
all the beautiful girls in town
walking their dogs
Their long legs in their short shorts
shimmer in the sunlight.
Ghost Dog 