“All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.” – Sally Ride

From “Me Too, 365,” by Arnold Kunst

6 September

How to Handle a Woman: Another right way.

Your wife gets off the phone and tells you that her mother just dropped dead. Knowing that she’s an only child and all the funeral arrangements will be left to her, in the bad old days you probably would have come out with some hyper-active Fix-It gene abreaction like this: “let’s see; you’ve got to prioritize contacting the newspapers, the funeral home, the cemetery, the bank, the church, letting friends and family know.” Of course, none of that is necessary as she hangs up the phone. Besides, [hopefully] you’ve learned over the years that she’s got a more-than-healthy Fix-It gene of her own. What she needs right away is your two ears, not your big mouth. In short, you need to learn to listen. You can help her do all that prioritizing later.

 

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” Victor Hugo

From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst

6 September

Arnold Kunst and the Piano, Part Two

In September 1964 when I arrived at Sonoma State [history major, music minor] I went to whatever the jobs-wanted office was called and filled out a generic job application form. I put down things like cutting lawns and washing dishes, but also put down something about teaching piano lessons to little kids. [Since I had already taught a good three lessons to the 5-year-old kid next door that previous summer, I considered myself a combat veteran.]

I forgot all about it, but about a month later I got a call from that office and was told to contact this family near the college – the parents wanted music lessons for their two 9-year-old twins and had contacted the college to see if they could score cheaply with a music major. Or in my case, a music minor.

I never looked back. Before November was out I had 7 students, or 3.5 hours of teaching, and made out like a bandit. Go figure: I charged those 7 kids $2.50 for their weekly half-hour lessons [point of comparison: back then a pack of Marlborough cigarettes cost 25 cents].

My girl friend and I had a blast on the proceeds!

“All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed.” - Sean O'Casey

 From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

September 6

When asked to comment on a book by an over-eager author, the President replied, “Well, for those who like that sort of thing I should think it is just about the sort of thing they would like.” - Abraham Lincoln

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

From “Me Too 365,” by Arnold Kunst

5 September

Has this ever happened before? A guy ends up having a ‘long-term”’ relationship with a woman he met in a bar. They were/are both really lonely, and the sex has varied between ‘disaster’ and ‘pretty good.‘ Are there train-wrecks in the cards here, or what? 

“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” - Anonymous

From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst

5 September

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” – Nelson Mandela

“Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened, but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace like a clock in a thunderstorm.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

 From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

September 5

The political climate of the 1850's and 1860's was rife with the scurrilous. According to the newspapers of the day, Lincoln was “a third-rate lawyer;” he lived “in low Hoosier style;” he “could not speak good grammar;” he delivered “coarse and clumsy jokes;” he was descended from “an African gorilla.” 

“Intolerance betrays want of faith in one’s cause.” – Mahatma Gandhi

From “Me Too 365,” by Arnold Kunst

4 September

Your teenage kids have lots to say and little tolerance for listening. Your job as a loving parent is to insure that “discussions” don’t become shouting matches. Otherwise you’ll model intolerance for them, and that will end up being the only thing they’ll really learn from you.