Everyone’s got their favorite album. And while it’s easy to list Dark Side of the Moon, Thriller, or Led Zeppelin IV as the greatest album ever in terms of numbers, personal favorites are different. This afternoon the song Full Catastrophe of Life popped up in the playlist and I was reminded once again how much I love the album Mr. Happy Go Lucky by John Mellencamp. Every haunting, deeply textured song resonates with me. Sure, Mellencamp is known for some pop hits…
Had a dream last night that me and my wife were on a small island. It was nighttime and I was preparing a romantic dinner on a blanket spread out along the shore. The full moon illuminated everything. You could see far out into the water. There were a few other people on the small, treeless spit who were all very friendly and who looked like they were there for similar reasons. Suddenly someone noticed a ripple on the surface of…
Stick to the mainstream, Jim. You’ll be happier. But what of my dreams? Fuck your dreams. They’re unsustainable. There’s no money in them. Especially yours. Best to just get in line and receive your fair helping of happiness as it’s been defined for everyone else. You’re not special, you know. Trust me, I know. But what if there’s something else? A different path than everyone thinks is right? You know what? There actually is a different path. But the thing is–you’re not the…
So you’ve got a great business concept. Awesome. And because it’s yours, the whole thing makes perfect sense. However, when you explain it to others they don’t seem to get it as quickly, and so you end up launching into a loquacious explanation that seems more confusing than clear. It’s a common frustration for entrepreneurs, and something we encountered in the early days of Boxman Studios. As a copywriter, it’s my job to simplify complex ideas. When I was approached about the business…
“How was your day?” I asked after picking her up from softball practice. “It was good.” “Just good?” I asked. “Nothing new and exciting?” “Oh, we took an ACT test today. That was really fun.” she said. “Wait, isn’t that like a college type test? How did I not know about this?” “Mommy did.” she said. “And it’s a test to see where you might best fit in at the High School level.” Oh, now I knew why I didn’t know about…
I was doing something outside today when I heard a rain of acorns fall from the big live oak tree. I turned to watch them land right on Sammy, the little pug-type dog that lives with us. I looked up and saw a squirrel scamper along the big branch of the oak that crosses our driveway and nearly engulfs our house, keeping it cool during summer. Then I thought about how sustainable our patch of land is for all the creatures that call…
