Hey! What keeps you calm?
With rough waters and quick currents, it can be hard to understand our own minds. Barely keeping heads high enough to breathe before we’re hit with another wave of tortured panic.
Limbs flailing every which way, the bet feels tipped in favor of drowning.
It’s at those times when the light leaves everyone’s eyes that a helping hand is most appreciated.
Even if we fear that will drag us both further below.
In that jumbled mess of tumbling sediment, the only aid I have to offer is perhaps a small distraction.
Shifting the scene from a raging river and focusing instead on its older brother. The mass of molecules flowing into the vastness of the ocean.
Somewhere out there in the endless sea, we can then stand still against horizons painted in infinite hues of blue.
Looking for a lighthouse or finding a familiar landmark against the comfort that comes with floating. A simple act of defiance before the blood boils. That can go a long way to finding our way back to shore.
Or perhaps we’re better off just drinking while it’s too hot to do anything more.
Book Update
I’ll be brief this time, just easy news on where I am with Significatorius.
And one of the biggest changes to this release is how I will be using my own ISBN — those barcode numbers that every published book in the world is supposed to have.
In the past, I’ve relied on Amazon’s “free” ISBNs, but that of course comes with some strings attached. Mostly, it’s vendor locked to their store. There are convoluted workarounds, but at the end of the day, you’re still gambling with their money.
That is to say, Amazon owns the ISBN.
These silly sequences of numbers can be a little expensive for the small time players like myself, especially if you’re in the US. However, I realized that in France they are relatively cheap. There is just a longer wait that includes bureaucratic processing and whatever else that entails.
It should work fine though and more importantly (and interestingly) this all means that I will be publishing under my own ISBN for the first time. I’m sure filling out every form will be a bit of an adventure as I stumble through the slightly different processes, but hopefully it’s well worth it!
I did also have a slight setback, but I’ll save that story for another day. For now I think it may be more fun to simply share the opening lines.
Chapter 1
Fini Mundi
World’s EndI grew up at the end of the world.
A place called Oshovia at the edge of the continent, Greater Patagonia. We were more famous for devouring sea vessels and the challenging flights over mountains than anything else.
That was my home.
Not really removed from the rest of the Antarctic Collective, but decidedly different. We were happy though. Nestled between the glaciers. Tucked into the corner of the canal. The backbone of the continent.
There was a natural barrier between us and the rest of everyone else like that.
We were protected from more than just the wars with those walls.
I hope that makes sense.
It did to me.
Life Raft
It feels odd to write so little after spending the last few weeks filling out a good few pages worth of text.
Perhaps I’ll blame it on the heat or the solstice.
In any case, I hope my words provide a decent detour as we’re all swept through ever changing waters.
And like Heraclitus, I hope we’re better for it.
πάντα χωρεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει
Everything changes and nothing stands still
Rather than dwelling on the numerous nerves weighing down the days, fortunate or otherwise, I hope you find a life raft and find no trouble while we ride the waves.
In my mind, these lyrical musings contribute to a more pleasant emotion, fleeting or cringeworthy.
I am, after all, words and stories.
Or if you prefer, an overly wordy oasis floating above the rising emotions still washing ashore.
Until next time.
—JMB