###############################
Sat Feb  5 06:18:35 AM EST 2022
###############################

Sometimes, when I tilt my head, squint my eyes, and look at
my life, I see a monk, or maybe a hermit. This is not to say
"a monk living a monk's life" or "a hermit living a hermit's
life;" rather, it's a monk who woke up in media res, married
with children, with work, obligations, habits, and so forth,
and is charged with making sense of it all.

So around 4am, I wake spontaneously for Vigil: some quiet
contemplation and, on a chilly morning like today, a cup of
tea. The water boiler has already done the heavy lifting;
all I have to do is to select a mug and a packet of tea,
then be patient. We know how it's done, yes?

And when I moved to tear the packet open this morning, it
resisted. 

That's when I woke up.

Flip it over and tear from the other side? Maybe coffee
instead? Suddenly, the the outcome of the rest of the day,
and maybe life itself, hinged entirely on this decision, on
this very moment...

Or maybe that's when I fell back asleep.

The books of koans may seem extraordinary or mysterious, but
it's the everyday koans that'll kick your ass.

Happy Saturday