5 years ago, I took a train north from New York City, and several hours later I returned home to celebrate seven months of a journey with magic and poetic spirituality, although asceticism could, did, would and will always take a back seat to anything that would make a heart pound faster, a brain light up and a spirit fly with joy.

Adventures await admirers who love when mystery presents vivacious experiences intensely moving with treasures of passion, awe, peace, aesthetics and joy of existence

Speaking of which, I also celebrated meeting with my family

Years later I’m in New York City again, with plenty of adventures in between then and now.  If you had asked me what I thought I was qualified to do when I returned from that voyage, that is, besides moving and telling stories, I would say I was getting much better at talking to people, especially people from a diverse array of cultures.  I suppose that’s why I reported to work today as an English teacher.  I wouldn't have thought I would be teaching business English though.  That was a surprise.

I have a vacation coming up toward the end of July.  The spirit is alive, and often the body feels fine, but I must say that I think my biggest health crime is depriving my body of sleep.  I'm getting positive energy consistently from people, foods, liquids, nature and moving around, but I need to revitalize here and there, as do we all.  I need to take some time to complete this stage of the project, and I look forward to the time and place where I am uninterrupted.

Specifically, I will choose when to distribute this summer, preferably August.  This means giving some amount of editorial, financial, and other powers to strangers, which, in a way, is far different from sharing a ride or a conversation.  That’s why I have to give the proper attention, focus, and above all, respect that the process deserves.  My whole life has been leading to this point, wherever this point leads, so I imagine you can understand what this step means to me.  I know I can't control how it goes, and I have to leave that to the universe once I share, but I have to do it my way.  This means I continue to write every day, and improve the art.  I've learned what I have to do to move forward, but now I just have to make a choice about which ones, of the many, will be sent on those journeys, when the larger story is ready for them to take their places.  31 sounds like a year for publishing

Vacation comes in a few weeks, in the new month.  While I move forward, producing, learning and practicing each date with the sun, when the ten days arrive, I plan to enjoy nature with plenty of pages, submission guidelines, memories, music, ideas, enthusiasms and aesthetic awareness of anything worthy of awe.

A miracle in the moment will be enjoyed while working well into the future of believing in the magical mystery tour of joy, adventure, poetry, and the thrill of being alive, thanking this for life, with vigor

You enjoy your life as you move forward into being a better warrior of bliss, in a world working with people of miraculous love imagination creation knowledge which we are wonderfully blessed to experience, as we fly on the edge of all we understand, every alive aware assembly of energy intimately engaging this here now whenever forever as we grow with the show and share what we know to make each other glow

A very special day, that June 29th.  I'm going to share what I've written with you tomorrow.  That is, for it to be better, I must express these ideas once again, with some energetic eyes.

Summer began in a field of fireflies with a light rain kissing the grasses, trees and humanity

Will

Hunger

Love

Creativity

Connection

Travel
Music

Art

Poetry

Sex

Expression

Seeing

Imagination

Movement

Joy

I have many treasures inside, which the world has given and gives, and there are many valuable treasures provided on the outside, which the world also gives, using the inside to bathe the outside with all the imaginative emotion available which the present avails our live awesome performance, consistent collaboration with divine sensation

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Yes, there are differences on the outside, but inside, there is this one, and that one... and 1

Thank you, today

I love witnessing the beauty, that's why

There is always room for improving

People can be frustrating and confusing, but the good ones help you keep moving

A woman from San Francisco had joyful water running on her face.  She was sorting through the stunning emotions, hugging the woman next to her, and thanking her for sharing the experience, as this was the first of its kind she had seen.  The woman next to her happened to be named Hiromi as well, and yes, she also had tears of happiness.

Well, I have met a few Hiromi's and am aware of a few more artists named Hiromi, and they are all beautiful humans worthy of celebration, with something unique to share with us.  Hiromi Uehara, who plays piano, in this opinion, gives the most amazing show.  All you need to know is she will make your spirit grow

Everywhere I walk, I feel positive energy... very genki

I am pleased to have met intelligent people today.  We will learn

Your music still dances with the world

I sat at a table with Japanese people.  Some were from Tokyo, and some were studying on Long Island.

After I sat at a table with people from Long Island.

One man at a nearby table was commenting on how the three people in the group were from three cultures, and I noticed they were from three islands: Japan, England, and New York.

Hiromi!

If you enjoy energetic, masterful, cutting edge, complex and moving music, I highly recommend seeing Hiromi at the Blue Note Jazz Club on West 3rd Street tonight or tomorrow.  She's playing two sets a night.  The club is in one of my favorite parts of town, a couple blocks from Sullivan Street, where I buy my tea, and next door to Benjamin Moore and Ace Hardware, where I buy my Mason jars to store the tea.  There's also an excellent Asian Fusion restaurant across the street, and a famous park nearby as well.

I have been to many Hiromi shows, and, as I've said before, one of the extra benefits besides the music is all the interesting people I meet.  Getting the conversation started is always easy because we're united by a shared love of Hiromi's music.  Often I've been seated next to people who were seeing their first Hiromi show, and they always tell me afterward that they completely understand why I come back for more.

This year I was seated next to a girl who had seen her 7 times already, and clapped her hands in ecstasy about five songs in a row upon hearing the first note.  "Oh my God, she's playing ____!" she would say.  I'm used to sitting next to people who have recently heard of her and don't even know the names of any of the songs, so it was fun to share the joy with someone else who had prior knowledge of her greatness.  An added bonus was I got to sit next to the drum set for the first time, and Simon Phillips (Toto, The Who, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd) broke his drumstick on the first song and grabbed another from his stash without missing a beat.  I looked and saw that he had 14 more waiting for him, and the set list said there were 14 songs, so I was hoping he would have to use all of them, but I guess the next two were sturdier because he didn't need any more after the first one.  Anthony Jackson (Simon & Garfunkel, Steely Dan, Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie, Michel Camilo) didn't break his bass at all, which is probably a good thing.

Last night I went with my friend, who had originally introduced me to her work, and she cured him of a stressful day.  Hiromi's music has a way of doing that.  Then again, we were seated next to very strange people.  In short, their manners were lacking, but at the same time they were completely into the show.  They just couldn't restrain themselves from shouting across the table in some foreign language I couldn't quite identify in order to remark on every song, and one of them kept pounding on the table and clapping her hands offbeat.  We conceded her enthusiasm was overall a positive thing, but we kind of wanted to hear the music as well, since this little restaurant isn't a large concert hall with loud amplifiers.  If you're near the stage you're set, but we were a little further up in the back, so their constant commentary, along with that of some people several tables away, often made it difficult to hear the music.  Then again, it's hard to be annoyed with others when Hiromi is playing her piano.

When she played the second set, I was blessed to sit immediately next to the stage and the piano, and see her fingers play every key.  I also had some insanely excited Hiromi fans sitting next to me.  They were very friendly musicians and math students from Pennsylvania, and had just driven several hours to see their first ever Hiromi and Blue Note shows, although they had been worshiping her for years.  They also warned me that they would find it very hard to control themselves.  I found these guys more humorous than annoying, probably because they had been so friendly and enthusiastic before the show.  Also, they bought me a Tequila shot, which is always fun.  The guy even looked a lot like me, that is, if I never trimmed my beard and had brown hair.

I will admit though, I sometimes wished the guy would cease counting off the beat ("1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4") every song, even though he was doing it as if this number sequence were the greatest miracle ever gifted by God.  Once or twice I had to smile and put my finger in front of his lips, usually when Hiromi was about to give a small speech in between songs or had transitioned to a softer piece.  He later thanked me after the show for keeping him under control, giving me hugs and insisting on pictures with everyone at the table.  All I had really done was share many awed stares, laugh at his orgasmic reactions, give him a thumbs up or occasionally, and smile while also making a motion for him to calm his voice, but most of his shouts and yips added energy to the atmosphere.  His girlfriend could hardly contain herself as well, and often had to hold her face in her elbow, as if she were at an evangelical church meeting and wanted to scream, "Hallelujah!"  She said that all of her friends, upon finding out how close she had sat to Hiromi, would tell her that she could leave the Earth happily after such an experience.

There was also another man with us, a huge jazz fan from Poland.  He and the talkative musician commented on the wonders of her technical ability before, during, and after the show.  I appreciated their new perspective, as I was aware she was doing all sorts of mathematical magic on the keys, and that if she hadn't mastered such complexity she wouldn't be able to express what was inside of her so magnificently.  On the other hand, I kind of wished I hadn't heard most of their deciphering, since I'm happy not to know how she's doing it.  In one interview Hiromi said, "I want my music to go from heart to heart and not from fingers to ears."  I know they clearly felt the music in their hearts, but they were definitely immersed in the latter approach as well.  As they were musicians, I know they couldn't help it, and I'm sure Hiromi gets many of those fans at her shows.  I'm different though.  Seeing as how I know nothing about music theory or composition or arranging, every song is a glorious mystery to me, shining with beauty and fantastic energy.

If you're far from the New York area, I suggest watching an online video of her performances, and if you like what you see, buy one of her many CD's.

Peace!

We talked about beauty and fashion in class today.  As I am a human, I think I have a sense of beauty, and although my knowledge of fashion is lacking, I inherently express some form of it simply through being here.

Seeing as how the school is in the fashion district, I have several students who are here to either study fashion or are in the fashion world.  When you have many insights into and opinions about the world, and are eager to share them, especially when given an audience, one major challenge faced is tempering the expression of your own ideas, because you must focus on the fact that you can only do so much in the service of edification because your real objective is to stimulate conversation.  And you aren't just serving the students this way.  You're serving yourself, because you learn from them.  I point that out more as a reminder to myself, but if this is useful to you in some way or someday, so much the better.

The class commenced with discussions of everyone's definition of the word "fashion," and what they considered important, and what they noticed on other people.  Then we moved more toward the beauty side of things, which encompasses fashion and goes well beyond.  My favorite part was when I asked everyone to name something beautiful, and most people named positive human qualities.

At the conclusion of the class, I read them some quotes that I thought were beautiful.  I tried to show movie clips, but the sound wasn't high enough, and one of them I couldn't even find online, so I had to recite it from memory.  Afterward I asked for any comments, and they said, “Thank you,” but differently from how they usually say it, and I could see they meant it.  I responded with, "Thank YOU," which I said in all sincerity, because they are constantly teaching me as well.

On Monday I'll have new classes.  I'll be teaching business English to post-advanced students.  I'm sure we'll all learn plenty.  Hopefully it will help me to shine a light on what I'm getting into as I continue to organize, edit, and, if all goes according to the initial plan, send some works for publication this month.  Although dollars will be welcome if they come, because they have the ability to feed the body and provide pathways which grow the soul, I am making myself remember such gifts of BEAUTY IN SPIRIT ARE THE HIGHEST GOAL

Welcome the new day

An opportunity for expressing yourself

Be good to people

Get yourself some fun

Improve your skills, learn something, give your mind a chance to play

A heart beating fast is a beautiful experience

Life, your miracle, swims in your spirit