A Poem by Tecumseh

A Poem by Tecumseh
So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view,
 and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend,
 even a stranger, when in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools
 and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts
 are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes
 they weep and pray for a little more time
 to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.

— Chief Tecumseh

In other news...

I went and had my teeth cleaned for the first time in (cough) a while(cough), which I suppose is not exactly the kind of thing one focuses on here, but the procedure was done around lunch time and I'm still feeling the effects of the anesthesia.

Eating was out of the question for most of the day after leaving the dentist's office.

Drinking could only be accomplished through a straw, and then only if I pinched my lips together tight around the straw. (Hey, just a few moments ago, I took a sip of water "unaided"—no straw, and fingers where they are supposed to be, around the glass—and I consider it a major victory. :)

IN the end, that meant that whatever I got accomplished before leaving for the dentist was what I got accomplished for the day, and I'm sad to say, it wasn't much.

Things's will be better in the morning, I'm sure. It's going to be a work weekend, and if I do take any breaks, it'll be to "downsize" our stuff.

* * *
In yet other news, I replaced the stock nib that came with my el-cheapo Noodler flex-nib pen—I forget the name, and am not in the mood to look it up—with the nib from a Conklin crescent-filler that I bought years ago with the intention of restoring, but never did.

The Noodler pen happens to be very friendly to people curious about how pens come apart and go back together, and the Conklin nib was just the right curvature, so I let my curiosity go.

My initial efforts with the pen were not very impressive, but it would appear that the choice of ink and paper are crucial in getting the desired result. I'm still taking baby steps in this area, but when I know more, I'll be sure to share.

Cheers...