“The heart is the chief feature of a functioning mind.”
-Frank Lloyd Wright
It’s been a couple weeks. Last weekend, I was in Florida and my laptop was on the fritz. I spent the past few days is Chicago. Caught a show and a Cubs game, ate lots of great food, and marveled at the art and the architecture.
As I walked around the city, I found myself wishing I lived there. When I find myself surrounded by aged buildings with character it feels something like home to me. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but I know it feeds my soul.
I hope this week that you take some time to consider what feeds your soul – what feeds your heart. Maybe it’s a place or a particular type of music. Maybe it’s time spent with a particular person or people. Maybe it’s time alone. Whatever it is, I hope you identify it and make time to do it more.
Glossary of Feelings entry XVII
Misery (noun)
a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress
This (and last) Week(s) in History
April 28, 1891 – Charley Patton, American Delta blues musician, was born in Hinds County, Mississippi (date disputed).
April 29, 1429 – Joan of Arc arrived at the siege of Orleans.
April 30, 1492 – Christopher Columbus was granted a royal commission by Spanish monarchs Isabella I and Ferdinand II to equip his fleet to the New World.
May 1, 1718 – Spanish Catholic missionaries established Mission San Antonio de Valero, now known as Alamo, the first of several settlements in what is now San Antonio, Texas.
May 2, 1670 – King Charles II gave a royal charter to the Hudson's Bay Company.
May 3, 738 CE – Maya ruler 18 Rabbit of Copán was captured and beheaded by ruler Cauac Sky from the rival city of Quiriguá.
May 4, 1799 – Tipu Sultan, Indian ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and pioneer of rocket artillery, known as the "Tiger of Mysore," was killed by British forces in the Battle of Seringapatam at age 48.
May 5, 1818 – Karl Marx, German philosopher and author of The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, was born in Trier, Prussia.
May 6, 1682 – Louis XIV of France moved his court to Versailles.
May 7, 1824 –Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th Symphony, often regarded as his greatest work, premiered in Vienna.
May 8, 1541 –Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his expedition became the first Europeans to discover the Mississippi River.
May 9, 1901 –The first Australian Parliament opened in Melbourne.
May 10, 1857 – Indian Mutiny against rule by the British East India Company began with the revolt of the Sepoy soldiers in Meerut.
May 11, 1871 – John Herschel, English astronomer and photographer who invented the blueprint and catalogued southern hemisphere stars, died at 79.
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What I’m Reading
Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy
What I’m Watching
The NBA Playoffs
Major League Baseball
What I’m Listening To
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco
Folk Singer, Muddy Waters
Journaling Prompt for the Weeks #17 & #18 of 2024
In what ways have you abandoned yourself? How can you connect with your heart?
Thanks for reading. Have a great week.