A Philosophy I Inherited from Myself

We had a deal with our kidsThey could participate in pixels(TV, computers, iPads, phones)For the exact amount of time they spent being creative in the daySpend an hour or two drawing, writing, building, playing music or sportsI will give you no grief about that game you want to playYou want to binge it?You’re going to need to bank some creative timeWhich often got them into deep-focus projects.We also had pixel free days and sometimes weeksAt the beginning of the week, there was little but complaintBy the end of the week, integrating pixels back in was almost awkwardThose days have passedKids have become adults and my rules no longer apply to themBut I now apply this rule for my own engagement with exterior voicesI can’t consume more than I createAnd for every tale of Armageddon I ingestI owe myself its antidote: ascension narrativeFor every political outrageA tale of heroism in service to life and loveIt’s not far from my food philosophyFor every dark leafy green and rainbow-colored meal I eatI can have latitude with a less than ideal optionAnd while I can bank dark leafy green daysI can’t accumulate cheat daysSo, the old Taoist approach of ‘moderation in all things’The seed of an antidote in every poison, and potential for poison in every antidoteMight just apply to everythingEven todayNothing we’re experiencing here is newIt’s the current expression of ancient dynamicsEver at playMy relationship to the friction betweenCitizenship and mental healthHas me consuming a certain amount of mediaBalancing the crazy with the inspirational helps meAnd key to grounding that balancing actIs spending an equal amount of time in expressionWriting. Painting. Rearranging a shelf. Making a sign.That’s how I keep from being overwhelmed by the very real s**t showAnd far more optimistic about what’s possible in the world and between each otherAnd within myselfPerhaps this can be my conversational orientation as wellYes, I’ll listen to your political views for exactly as long as you’re willing to explore what you want to createAnd even: I’ll indulge my periodic disillusionment as long as I commit to a one-drop drawingI recently read: the opposite of depression isn’t happiness, it’s expressionTo thinkThe best of my parenting is now parenting me. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fallingtenderly.substack.com