Morning Drift — a journal of perspective, response, and the shifting truths of everyday life. No instructions. No formulas. Just lived moments.
Stillness @ Six
It is ten minutes after six. Morning drift number thirteen, I believe. I’ve been wondering what to write about. After my last post, I felt a little emotionally drained.
I think that’s where a lot of growth comes from — when you are letting go. And I think that’s why the whole journal thing kind of works. Once you express it, it settles somewhere in your subconscious. It works itself through.
I am grateful for this platform because when I try to write something out formally, I either get frustrated or want to make it sound more profound than it needs to be. This way, I can speak it out, put it down, clean up the grammar, and shape the flow afterward. Sometimes two or three thoughts blend into one because I realize they were connected all along.
This morning, I began thinking about what I was going to think about — or write about — or talk about. I got up early so I could get in ahead of schedule and leave sooner.
Ten Cents of Perspective
I found a dime this morning while walking my dog, Memphis. It’s a dime. It’s ten cents. Actually, it’s not worthless — it’s worth ten cents.
That got me thinking about how giddy it feels — oh, a dime. When you find a penny, you’re excited. At least that was back when a penny actually bought something.
That was back when they made them — because they stopped making them recently. That made me think, wow, there are going to be a lot fewer pennies on the ground in the future. I started wondering if the dime itself was the good… really good… find of the day — and if the dime will become the new penny or the nickel.
I don’t know. As prices go up, do they phase out pennies because it’s no longer practical? I understand why they do it. For years, it has cost more than a penny to produce a penny — so that’s just counterproductive.
And the funny thing about finding a penny was always the joy you get from something so small. Especially as a kid.
The Memory Tilt
It makes me think about the small joys you find in life — and how you don’t always take a moment to soak them in. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll say it again because it’s important.
When you think of your past, you tend to remember the catastrophes — the bad things. When you’re arguing with someone, human nature is to bring up past transgressions. The problem is, without remembering the good portions of a relationship — whether it’s work, personal, spouse, child, siblings, family — it’s hard to stay balanced.
It’s hard to step out of that defensive wiring. We’re wired to go for jugulars. It’s fight-or-flight mentality. I’m sure psychologists and psychiatrists have names and studies for all of this, but I’m coming at it like a layman, just trying to understand the world and grow.
Right in Front of Me
I’m tired this morning. I got up early so I could get in ahead of schedule and leave sooner. But when I got up, I felt pretty, pretty good.
Happy with that, I went out to walk the dog. My sons got up early. They’re going fishing together this morning. They’re nineteen now. They’re twins. It’s good to see them choosing to spend time together.
It’s just little joys. Gratitude. Finding a penny. Finding a dime.
Yesterday we had a double rainbow because of the rain. I was complaining about the rain — then I get to work, and there’s a double rainbow. I’m driving today after all that rain — it’s absolutely stunning. Beautiful. The sun’s about to peek through. And it’s Friday, and we got paid last night.
I could have a myriad of things to complain about. My job. Relationships. Life in general. But I think the trick is recognizing that moment you start going down that rabbit hole — before you hit depression or anger, before you fully process it and start living in the negatives.
It’s not easy. That’s why they call it work.
Just Miss It
It’s like those drivers going so fast they’re about to miss their exit. They’re in the fast lane. And they cut all the way across, jeopardizing safety because they don’t want to miss it.
They’re about to miss it — they almost hit a barrier. I’ve seen it. It’s crazy.
And I’m thinking, “Just miss your exit.”
It’s only going to cost three extra minutes. But they have to get that off-ramp — so they jeopardize their life, their safety, and the safety of others.
The fret of being two or three minutes late. The fear of having done something wrong.
That’s a stretch, maybe. But I think you get the gist — simple things. Finding a penny. Letting things go. Somebody cutting you off.
Simple — letting things pass because they’re not happening to you. Bad things aren’t happening to you; bad things just happen. Things happen. It’s how you react.
And the more I work on that, the more gratitude I have. The more understanding. The less resentment. The more joy I find in picking up a penny. That joy lingers longer now.
Without Forgetting
It’s the same with arguments. The same with processing indiscretions at work. People — as the Lord’s Prayer says — trespassing against us.
Forgiveness is not forgetting.
You can forgive someone for doing something wrong to you. You don’t have to forget it. And you don’t have to set yourself up for repeated trespasses.
Letting it go is one thing. Letting it happen again is another. It’s a fine line.
It even comes down to how someone delivers a message. The delivery may be horrible — crass, condescending. But it’s better to filter that through and ask: is there malice there, or is there an actual message?
Just Enough
I’m simply going to live the rest of the day — and keep tapping into that little bit of joy I found when I picked up a dime this morning.
It’s funny — ten cents is all it took this morning to realize how much joy I have around me.
Something as simple as someone dropping a dime by accident — and you being the one who picks it up a day or two later. How profound is that?
Ten cents for happiness.
There’s got to be a song in there somewhere.
No single tide, no single truth.
Tides and Truth... 