The good news is that I got 10 hours of road time with Niki. The bad news is that means my car is still sitting at the airport. Instead of bothering Sharmila and Nikita to take me there, I decided to change up my life a little and take public transportation.

Had to start from the very basics – like downloading the app to catch a bus and all that. The bus stop is about a couple of minutes walk from my house. Loved that journey. This is the second time I took MARTA bus. Being able to see all the familiar scenes, except now I am much higher and have long glass window panes was inexplicably exciting. Experiencing the bus stop to drop off or pick up a passenger and even watching how each passenger go thru the decisioning process of which seat to take was strangely enjoyable. But the best part was speeding down the highway!!!

The train journey – which should have been even more interesting – was marred by the fact that I quickly became queasy. Both Niki and I suffer from car sickness. One of the rare times when I had taken Marta train in the past, it was so bad that I had to get off at a station and take the next one after stabilizing myself.

Maybe I should go around in the buses randomly just to … you know, ummm…for no particular reason at all.

By the way, the street you see in the picture is where I live.

Have you tried this?

In an effort to wean myself away from the addiction to digital devices, I have been trying a few things. Some have worked better than others. This one seems to be effective.

I read somewhere that one part of digital intoxication is the bright colors on the screen that we get attracted to. Who, amongst us has not seen that red small circle light up and immediately felt the urge to go check the new messages?

So, two weeks back, I learnt how to turn my iPhone to black and white. Quickly, I realized that I had a problem. While taking pictures or solving Wordle, I desperately needed color. So, spent some more time to write up two shortcuts (you can see them on the right). Now, literally with a press of an icon, I can make my phone turn black and white or colored.

The results have been more effective than other things I have tried. To be fair, we have to see if this is a long term effect or my brain with all its neuroplasticity will quickly go back to the bad habits.

As of now, with authority, I can tell you that when I glance at a black and white screen, I have zero urge to pick it up. I cannot even read the icons well enough let alone notice there are apparently bright red notification counters!

Have you ever tried this? Did it work for you?

What other tricks have you tried for digital detox?

Cappuccino, listening to the birds and watching the mail trucks come in and out.

Spring is here. Once again sitting outside in the dark, early morning with a cup of coffee and watching the mail trucks come in and out. Observing every step of them is one of my best meditative exercises.

Keeping up with my tradition of starting the year by “wishing you enough”. A message worth repeating every year. As a person who arguably spends more time in airports than home and as somebody who spends time in hospices with folks who regularly say their “forever goodbyes”, the story and the moral of the story rings very true to me.

Even if you have read it last year, it is a great read again. Also acknowledging Larry Mason who had originally wished me enough…

“I wish you enough!”
By Bob Perks
———————–
I never really thought that I’d spend as much time in airports as I do. I don’t know why. I always wanted to be famous and that would mean lots of travel. But I’m not famous, yet I do see more than my share of airports.

I love them and I hate them. I love them because of the people I get to watch. But they are also the same reason why I hate airports. It all comes down to “hello” and “goodbye.”I must have mentioned this a few times while writing my stories for you.

I have great difficulties with saying goodbye. Even as I write this I am experiencing that pounding sensation in my heart. If I am watching such a scene in a movie I am affected so much that I need to sit up and take a few deep breaths. So when faced with a challenge in my life I have been known to go to our local airport and watch people say goodbye. I figure nothing that is happening to me at the time could be as bad as having to say goodbye.

Watching people cling to each other, crying, and holding each other in that last embrace makes me appreciate what I have even more. Seeing them finally pull apart, extending their arms until the tips of their fingers are the last to let go, is an image that stays forefront in my mind throughout the day.

On one of my recent business trips, when I arrived at the counter to check in, the woman said, “How are you today?” I replied, “I am missing my wife already and I haven’t even said goodbye.”
She then looked at my ticket and began to ask, “How long will you…Oh, my God. You will only be gone three days!” We all laughed. My problem was I still had to say goodbye.

But I learn from goodbye moments, too.

Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, “I love you. I wish you enough.” She in turn said, “Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy.”

They kissed and she left. He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, “Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?”

“Yes, I have,” I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me.

So I knew what this man was experiencing.

“Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?” I asked.
“I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral,” he said.

“When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, “I wish you enough.” May I ask what that means?”

He began to smile. “That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.” He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.” When we said ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them,” he continued and then turning toward me he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

“I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final “Goodbye.”
He then began to sob and walked away.
—

My friends, for 2024, I wish you enough!

Over the last 25 years, I have fine tuned my own crazy system to set and track goals. Some legitimately worry that I spend more time setting and tracking my goals than actually doing them!!

This year, one of the goals is to try minimalism on digital stuff. For me personally, it seems to create too much distractions and eats up my time. The experiment of minimalism on physical goods has yielded good results for me in terms of freeing up time and certainly having far less worries. Admittedly, my wife and friends have upped their worries on my sartorial sense, though!

The challenge is my OCD-level detailed system is all digital. Finally, after talking to Roger, decided to go his way and am headed the analog way for 2024. Of course, me being me, I had to convert all my digital templates (there are about a dozen of them) into paper and pen versions first.

In an another first, I have set all my 2024 goals before the year has begun! Usually it is middle of January when I get done.

Now, for some unscheduled afternoon nap!!!

and Jay Jay got an early start to his sleep. This reminds me – I am falling back on writing book reviews. Will see if I can knock off the last book I read today.

The week has been a bit hectic. Did manage to put in a walk to the bar with Sharmila and the dog every night though. But that was about it. Finally, today got some motorcycle time and then unwinding with an Asterix!

This is the 14th book – Asterix in Spain !