of sharks, harpoons, and trees
i took a few classes a while back on japanese and chinese poetry, and one thing i remember from those classes is this: often in poetry, especially "asian" poetry, trees symbolize wisdom because they sit and observe and never argue or try to get their two cents in. they sit and watch, and thus see all.
i've always wanted to be like that. i know (as do most of you) that i talk way too much most of the time (like in these endless rants). but i try to be observant (in fact, i was talking with my dad about how i can't really "turn off my mind, relax, and float down stream" because i would just lay back, float downstream, and observe everything that's surrounding me). anyway, in a similar regard, i've always wanted to have lots of great stories but not be constantly dying to tell them. or great jokes. you know, the sort of thing where all the sudden you drop a "yeah, this one time i was drinking baijiu with chinese government officials and wound up improvising beijing opera with one of them." something like that. i just think being that guy would be so cool.
today i went out to celebrate fathers' day with paul, his mother, will and the invincible blab. and he casually pulled out this "well one time when i was shark hunting in tunisia..." and proceeded to talk about the time he found himself on a half of a boat, hunting sharks, off the coast of tunisia. whaaaa?!!
happy fathers' day, pop!
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