My need and experience for solitude is becoming more clear to me daily. Eileen is a great help as we examine our changed life style. While Eileen was working, I had copious time alone in the building. I think this is a key insight. Being alone in the building is apparently how I see solitude. Since she retired, Eileen and I give each other plenty of space. But this is not quite the same as having time completely alone.

Yesterday, when Eileen took her usual trips to Evergreen to exercise I stayed home alone. I can feel the effects of these conscious alone times. Yesterday I spent the first hour alone composing. In the afternoon I did a bit more of this, practiced piano, and then sat in the backyard and read (It was a beautiful day). Eileen pointed out to me that when she was working, she would often arrive home and hear me describe my time alone in which I had spent hours reading and practicing piano. Yesterday, I experienced a bit of jolt of memory as Eileen arrived home and I was sitting in the backyard reading. I don’t think I did much of that last summer.

It’s counter-intuitive to me to seek time away from Eileen. I enjoy being with her and think of having her around more in retirement as one of the good parts of life. However, I am beginning to see my own needs more clearly. It’s healthy to think that my relationship to Eileen need not bear all the pressure of my personality. Emotional and physical space can have a renewing effect especially on (dare I say it?) my artistic temperament.  Then, maybe our times together will be more pleasant for both of us.

I finally heard back from Satursday’s cellist. Sooprise, sooprise. He’s having life stuff. His partner’s mother is dying in another state. He is having challenges balancing supporting his partner, doing his work (whatever that is), and participating in planning for Saturday. I just emailed him back and then sent an email to the office manager copied to him and Rev Jodi about what I think would be good for the program Saturday. Jodi and I meet tomorrow and Mary (the office manager) has promised us drafts of the program for Saturday and the bulletin for Sunday (at which Jodi presumably will preside and preach). That shit’s looking up.

Clintonism the Future? NYT’s Political Science Fiction — FAIR

I have now put a link on the front page of my tablet to FAIR’s web site. I think they are living out Nichols and McChesney’s ideas of a viable fourth estate journalism. I know they are bit on the left, but they still seem empirical in their criticisms of media like the NYT.

Virginia Governor Restores Voting Rights to Felons – The New York Times

Good news in a time that voting is threatened in the USA by weird prohibitions.

The Cost of a Decline in Unions – The New York Times

I sent this 2015 link to Eileen yesterday. She was wondering about the relationship of CEO wages to works in the 60s and now. This reports some of it. Reading People Get Ready provides some insights into the demise of unions. There is a long discussion of the impact of technology/automation on the last half of the 20th century. Unions face a diminished need for workers. Like the shifting voting base in the USA (non white majority is upon us), the entire terrain of the discussion of unions has changed.

In Spain, Catching Up With Cervantes – The New York Times

Cervantes has a 400 year anniversary as well as Shakespeare, eh?