An Uphill Battle

Continuing on from where we began yesterday with our exploration of my journals starting with an entry from 3/21/2007 in the second part of the opening sentence where I refer to an uphill battle.

In order to create something truly meaningful it takes time and concerted effort. This theme comes up often. I also talk about a process I call Personal Archeology which I used to uncover part of my past. Journal Mining is a form of Personal Archeology. Here are some quotes from the entry that speak to this topic:

So often it takes time. This is why it sucks. The mission. What did ya find? Personal Mythology?

It takes time before you see the possibility of a true rhythm.

Do you have the patience to benefit from the experience of life?

The next logical topic to follow our discussion on Beginnings is to turn to the idea of process, or basically creating systems for the things that you will have to repeat. Basically anything that you will do more than once gets its own process.

What Does PSK Mean In Schooly D's Song?

Schooly D is known as one of the first people to make rap music that could be classified as gangsta rap. Another name that comes to mind is the name of Just-Ice who also fits the early gangsta bill. The song PSK, What Does That Mean? is an out and out hip hop classic and should be known anyone that claims to love the music.



So PSK stands for The Parkside Killers which was a real outfit that ran in Philly based out of a neighborhood of the same name. Just think of the landscape of rap music if Schooly D didn't help set off the genre that groups like NWA took the baton and ran with.

Journal Dipping: The Beginning

Sometimes that is what it feels like inside our heads

I put all of my journals into chronological order to begin to reviewing them for insights and clues from my past. The journals I've collected span from 2003 to the present. I randomly started in the middle of the pile with an entry from 3/21/2007 which starts with:

Beginning begins again, my friend the uphill battle.

And so begins our journey to crack the nut of what I was talking about 7 years ago. Also in 2007 I uploaded a youtube video where I talk specifically about beginnings and start with lyrics from the KRSONE's legendary song "My Philosophy"

So, you're a philosopher?
Yes, I think very deeply
In about four seconds, a teacher will begin to speak
Let us begin, what, where, why, or when
Will all be explained like instructions to a game
See I'm not insane, in fact I'm kind of rational

In 2006 which is the first year of this blog I began an entry called Bloglife with this to say about Beginnings:

The best way to begin is to begin badly, to fall straight down the pipe, and into the crapper. This is the way to ultimately succeed. First you must fail, so throw yourself headlong in front of the world with no shame. Dance on fire under the light. Enjoy the brightness, burn baby burn. I like the nightlife, give me some spice.

I could dance in quiet corners by myself buying nothing, peace nor admitting too many distractions. Nobody listens to the memoirs of a tormented sore loser.

Who wants to hear form crappy emotionalism.

Another life rolled out on a stretcher.

Who gives a damn?

And in closing I leave you with the words of the Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron who reminds us that "each moment is an opportunity to make a fresh start." (from Places That Scare Us)