January 31st, 2025

 Nothing better than going for the gusto with some Kahlil Gibran to end the work week.

I was introduced to Gibran at Christmas of 1983 by my father. In October of that year, over 200 Marines were killed in Beirut, Lebanon.

At Thanksgiving, I spouted off some sort of hateful rhetoric about Lebanon and terrorism that pissed off my Oldman.

All I received from him for Christmas that year was “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran. Gibran was a Christian writer from Lebanon.

He highlighted several lines in the book before he wrapped it in a brown grocery bag from The Jewels. Today’s Chalkboard was one of the quotes that he wanted me to learn immediately. He wrote “Merry Christmas Moose, pull your head out of your ass. Love Dad” inside the cover.

There will be plenty of pain and suffering in your life. Don’t let it knock you down, but instead, have pain make you stronger.

It was good advice for a stupid know-it-all senior in high school. I haven’t had much of a painful life because of preparation like this.

“Bend your knees, bow your neck and charge through life’s obstacles.”

Today is Hot Chocolate Day. Perfect way to end the month. It was around the same time I was introduced to Gibran that my Oldman introduced me to his famous Grasshopper Hot Chocolate.

Philosophy and Schnapps…. A great combination.

Let’s end January of 2025 and flip into February. I’m sure many of us will be watching the Bill Murray movie with the alarm clock at some point this weekend.

…..I got you babe