94 Comments

And somehow a picture that isn’t me appeared next to my name. One of those hundred bears at work?

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I don't see the photo! Just a blank avatar. There's a ghost in the machine.

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Perfect. And morning voice recording is a good thing.

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Ha! Before the coffee performance!

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"the joy of removing yourself from the equation". How powerful and freeing, thank you Sherman

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Lovely! The simple life is well...everything!

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Love, love, love this poem...especially the "Ode to the Shrug" tucked within!

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Thanks, Mary Kay.

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Wonderful!

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Thanks, Rachel.

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O this is good, one of your best

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Thanks, Deborah.

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Laughing - That's the meal I ate last night. I'm alone these days, but your poetry makes me feel connected. Thanks so much. I'll never shrug at your poetry!

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Thank you, Kate.

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Such a lovely way to enjoy the exact moment.

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Thank you, Toni.

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Perfect! Contentment.

I'm reading a book called The Hacking of the American Mind (by Robert H. Lustig). Near the beginning he's explaining the difference between pleasure and happiness. Your poem feels like happiness, though pleasure is there, too. The delicious freedom of the shrug, though -- I like it.

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Thanks, Rebecca. I've seen news about that book but haven't read it

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Makes me think I should shrug more, talk less and delight in the simple connections in life.

Thank you!

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All of us could benefit from talking less!

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It’s quite a sweet and genuine poem. Thoughtful, and very relatable. The mighty salmon indeed.

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Thanks, Rich.

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I know that shrug!

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Yes!

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Thank you again for your well thought words. They invoked a subtle but powerful shift in my own thinking. The result was a deep breath and a peaceful settling. Huh...a shrug....so "simple".

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Thank you, Becky.

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“O, the joy of removing yourself

From the equation…”

That’s a vital skill they don’t teach in schools. It’s not taught much of anywhere.

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It's a skill I'm trying to exercise!

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Thank you for this, Sherman. I will never think of salmon the same again! And I really appreciate your words. They brought me back to watching the fish men I saw at the Pike’s Place Market years ago, as each they threw one huge fish to the next, and so on. We are fortunate that the Earth feeds us and we must always appreciate it.

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Thank God for salmon!

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