Less of me does not exist. I am whole man, a whole human being. And not one cell less.

–me

For me, to be complete means starving myself of the nourishment to live. And that will never happen.

(See, here’s the thing–my quest for a partner does not involve starving or smothering–or devouring–anyone. It’s the complete opposite.)

Hence…

“In your training, do not be in a hurry, for it takes a minimum of ten years to master the basics and advance to the first rung. Never think of yourself as an all-knowing, perfected master; you must continue to train daily with your friends and students and progress together in the Art of Peace.”

~ Morihei Ueshiba

And this…

“Those who are enlightened never stop forging themselves.”

I’m not saying I’m enlightened. I am saying I will never stop forging myself. And forging myself for the heart of another.

That all this poetry and deep, rich thought would make me dour and a sourpuss like Gordon Brown, the British prime minister.

Hardly.

Let’s just say I remember many a night in Brussels dancing to this song.

And yes, Kylie remains hot.

Last night I took my time.

I had a Kobe beef burger, garlic fries, and two glasses of Syrah. And it took me 90 minutes to eat every morsel and bite, and drink every drop. In other words, I savored it.

Much of life should be savored, used as nourishment, and not devoured, to be used and merely spat out.

I can think of one, um, thing, I want to savor.

It is one thing to say a heart has been taken away.

It is another thing entirely to have your soul taken away.

Where, then, has my soul gone?

To a higher, greater, more special place.

A place, I don’t want to come down from.

I can’t serve others, or myself, if I did that.

I’m not hanging on tightly, suffocating anything.

I am allowing myself to be.