I'm feeling really grateful at the moment. I had a really good day on Sunday, I just bought food for the week and there's money for gas, so with the roof over my head, and a job to go to, I'm feeling at peace about the immediate future. I've gotten to hang out with good friends recently, and am going to hang out with some more this evening, once I stop writing this. It's really, really good to see people smile when you show up. The more I live, the less I am caring about success and stuff, and the more I am caring about the very basic things of life. At this point, the necessities of my life feel like food, shelter, clothing, friends, and useful work. If I have those five things, I'm happy. I suppose having music is a hugely important non-necessity to me, and having common transportation (which in this society is a car) helps facilitate the liveliness of my necessities, but I'm not feeling the need to "get somewhere" or "be somebody" anymore. There's a lot of hope placed in various option-packages that can be added or supplanted for the basics. Philosophies, stature, stuff, etc., but as I've lived I've seen how difficult it can be to have the basics, and that makes me all the more grateful for having them now. And I think the real lynch-pin is knowing that you're loved. Loved by God and loved by friends. That's the necessity around which the others swing.

So here's to the basics! If you have these, you're living well. I hope you do, I hope you are. :)

-mike