Things went back to normal yesterday and I took my Donut Walk™. I suspect I’ll skip it today because of the Seder but perhaps not. I am not going to let a little thing like keeping kosher for Pesach keep me from donuts the rest of the week. I’m a good Jew and eat matzoh brei and love the Seder, but that’s about it. One observant friend said that I’m a Good Jew because I’m a good person and a Jew. That is the right attitude for everyone. You are free to make choices for yourself but not to judge the choices of others when they don’t do harm. Ultraorthodox Jews are known as Haradrim. We need a more general word for it that covers all religions and ideologists, including atheists. The puritans, Mujahideen, crusaders, dominionists, Maoists, fascists, etc, fight each other, but share the belief that that their beliefs should be imposed on others in the name of morality. There are atheists that do the same thing, and there needs to be a word for them as they taint the vast majority of atheists who are ecumenical. I’m in a quandary, how do write about judging people for being too judgmental? I was thinking of writing about that today from a totally different angle. I have not found a way of discussing the sin without being guilty of the sin. This is as close as I can get.
I’m listening to The Met Opera Presents: Don Giovanni as I write this. That inspires the exact opposite; it is as close to the divine as humanity can get. Mozart was a flawed man who transcended his flaws to create overwhelming beauty. You want to feel good about people, you want to feel good about yourself listen to Mozart. You share 99% of his genes.
Speaking of things that made me feel good I had a delightful surprise when I got home from my Donut Walk™. I timed it so I’d be home in time to see Alice Hasen’s Fiddler’s Friday livestream. Like Mozart it makes me feel good about humanity. The delightful surprise was that Alice was so amused by my daily Donut Walk® that it inspired her to write a tune. Just to make things more fun, on yesterday’s Fiddler’s Friday she played flute instead of fiddle. It really isn’t fair that people can play multiple instruments well when I can’t play any even competently. The intro to the tune starts at 14:13.
Spring just started but yesterday felt like summer. It was 76ºF when I started my walk. I wore a t-shirt and linen pants. I just realized that I forgot to wear sandals like I planned. Some people were dressed appropriately for the weather, many were in shorts. Some didn’t check the weather before they left the house. One person I saw was in a zipped-up ski jacket. Many were wearing jackets and hoodies. I have a friend that will zipper his jacket no matter how hot it is; he would rather roast that walk around in an unzipped jacket. Do not expect to be able to understand everything people do. I’m fighting the urge to judge. It felt so good to be outside in that glorious weather, that’s what matters.
Last night I planned on recording my show when I discovered that Kristin and Critter, I have to fight not writing Kristin and Kritter, were doing a live stream from their porch in East Nashville. There were dogs barking, there were the voices of neighbors, there was a train, but none of that could stop me from loving it. I could not turn it off.
When they finished I finally got to work on Gord’s Gold. I ended up not recording it, just putting the finishing touches on programming it, and writing the host segments. I try to just write notes, not a script, but sometimes I need to remind myself of so much detail that I might as well write it out. I’m a bit concerned the show is too long. My plan was to get it done on Friday but with the Seder tonight, once again I’ll be recording late into Saturday night. I’d record it now but it’s way to noisy. I hope my neighbors don’t have a late Saturday night party. Instead of my Donut Walk™ I might stay home in hope of a window of opportunity to record. I will probably go for a walk as knowing me, if I stay home I won’t get it recorded. Maybe I’ll splurge and get dinner instead of trying to find a place to make dinner around the Seder.
It feels that all I write about nowadays I donuts and Gord’s Gold. Maybe I should change the name of the blog to Donuts on the Radio. I should get this posted and head out, then I can listen to Don Giovanni as I walk. Yesterday I listened to the FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast. I strongly recommend that you subscribe to it. Listening made the trip subjectively go much faster. Mozart should do the same. I like being aware of my surroundings when I walk but I love using the time to listen to things I love too.
Wise Madness 