I woke up thinking about how we reclaim our own power and what that means for emotional instability. If I had to visualize it I'd say it's more like a sailboat with no anchor nor helm. Thankfully it's a sublime morning and I have the instinct to go touch grass, there are things I want to do today without thinking of them too much.

Last week my girlfriend told me something about art I had heard once but never really considered. She spoke on the difference between the two schools of thought as to how art is perceived. On one hand art is valued more for the skill of the artist, how disciplined they were in creating a piece using the studied fundamentals. Then there's viewing art as an expression of self, skill is only relevant in how it pertains to what the artist is trying to portray. Skill versus creativity—I would hope to achieve both.

I had a dream last night about these two dudes who drive around in a giant boring machine, just these two boomers digging through the earth in a giant mechanical worm. Apparently they were attached to a secret department of the US military that specialized in the study and destruction of monsters and other anomalous beings. One day these two burst through the parking lot of IHOP looking to get some pancakes. One was suave and the other insecure. Suave was cocky, a bit arrogant in the way he spoke to the other patrons when he sat down, and Insecure was just there to learn the ropes. When asked why he was so arrogant, Suave replied leaning back in his chair, "Cause I hunt giant monsters, asshole".

I would love to have that confidence but never the ego to wield it like that...

Today is a good day to get out of the house. Maybe not for IHOP, $13 for an omelette the size of a tea saucer last time I checked. But the weather's fair, sky's clear, and there's a dormant volcano in my window. The desert really is a cool place during the right time of day. Lately we've been getting brownouts like it's Afghanistan; I half-expected to see a squad of marines on the way to work.

But what I was saying about reclaiming our power, it starts with being mindful. Emotions whether they be positive or negative can be misleading once they delve into extremes. From my experience both offer a false ideal when we chase after them, negativity promises a soft destruction that's both inward and outward, but positivity can be an opiate of sorts. Not to mention that either one can lead to maladaptive daydreaming. It's easy to say it's all about balance but let me be clear about that. It's more than just balance but moderating the self, reclaiming your own power means being responsible for your own mind, and especially not being lead by whatever social media algorithm dictates.

I'm gonna go shower, get my head screwed on, then see if I really want to meet that guy today. Maybe coffee would suffice instead of some fancy lunch but let's play by ear. There's a story I'd like to capture in writing.

—Errant out