Loyalty – Part 1 – Smashing Blue

I. Smashing Blue

“[Saburazaemon said:] ‘To lay down one’s life for another is the basic principle of homosexuality.’”

- from the pages of the HAGAKURE, the handbook of the samurai

Loyalty, Part 2 – Glaring Dream

II. Glaring Dream

“There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man’s whole life is a succesion of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.”

- from the pages of the HAGAKURE, the handbook of the samurai

Loyalty, Part 3 – The Rage Beat

III. The Rage Beat

“Yamamoto Jin’emon always said to his retainers, ‘Go ahead and gamble and lie. A person who will not tell you seven lies within a hundred yards is useless as a man.’”

- from the pages of the HAGAKURE, the handbook of the samurai

Loyalty, Part 4 – In the Moonlight

IV. In The Moonlight

“Narutami Hyogo said, ‘What is called winning is defeating one’s allies. Defeating one’s allies is defeating oneself, and defeating oneself is vigorously overcoming one’s own body.’”

- from the pages of the HAGAKURE, the handbook of the samurai

Loyalty, Part 5 – Super Drive

V. Super Drive

“Last year at a great conference there was a certain man who explained his dissenting opinion and said that he was resolved to kill the conference leader if it was not accepted. His motion was passed. After the procedures were over the man said, ‘Their assent came quickly. I think that they are too weak and unreliable to be counselors to the master.’”

- from the pages of the HAGAKURE, the handbook of the samurai

Loyalty, Part 6 – Blind Game Again

VI. Blind Game Again

“Nakano Jin’emon constantly said, ‘A person who serves when treated kindly by the master is not a retainer. But one who serves when the master is being heartless and unreasonable is a retainer.’”

- from the pages of the HAGAKURE, the handbook of the samurai

Loyalty, Part 7 – Sleepless Beauty

VII. Sleepless Beauty

“In carefully scrutinizing the affairs of the past, we find that there are many different opinions about them, and that there are some things that are quite unclear. It is better to regard such things as unknowable.”

- from the pages of the HAGAKURE, the handbook of the samurai

Loyalty, Part 8 – Shining Collection

VIII. Shining Collection

“The Way of the Samurai is found in death.”

- from the pages of the HAGAKURE, the handbook of the samurai

A Simple Twist of Fate, Part 1

Six months’ suspension. Six months. No job. Jan pregnant. No income. Mortgage. Bills. Baby. Time to panic.

No. Time not to panic. Time to get on the phone. Security jobs. Easy. Qualified. Everything’s OK.

I’ve got to stop thinking like a crazy person. There are people out there way worse off. I’ve seen ‘em. C’mon, Matt. You can always talk another guy down off a ledge. Talk yourself down now. Talk yourself down.

Right. Let’s assess the situation. I’m going to be a father. That’s a good thing. I just have to start acting like one. Like a real one. No reason to look backward. I know I’m gonna be a better dad than he was. First thing I need is the paper. Job listings. Right. Time to pick up the phone.

The phone’s ringing.

A Simple Twist of Fate, Part 2

adult content warning

He’s still numb when we meet this morning. Last night he began the conversation in a good humor, but the moment I asked the reason for his turnaround, he clammed up. He wouldn’t discuss it. So I’m here at the restaurant in some suburban Holiday Inn, forcing dry rice cereal down my throat and determined to talk him out of it.