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That's it, that's the post. 

But seriously, twitter was becoming bad for my mental health anyway, designed for provoking outrage at every turn. The new Post platform is still young, and I can't say it solves the problem aforementioned, but at least it's not owned by a right wing psychopath. 

Speaking of mental health, I'm taking one of those days today. Well, in part I'm taking the day off to be there for Liv as she navigates through the end of the school year. At present she's one of those kids that comes in the clutch at the very last minute, after long periods of procrastination. The OEA strike so close to the end of the school year did not help in that focus. While they bargained over what to do about the homeless with less than three weeks left of the school year, many kids derailed a bit. 

Anyway, the other part of it is a kind of taking stock. At first I was gonna call it a "darkness retreat" day in the spirit of my (very much former) boy Aaron Rodgers, but as I was taking off the back yard furniture rain covers for, hopefully, the last time until this fall, I realized that, since I might be spending some time back there today reading my book, I'm gonna call it a "lightness retreat" instead. 

I'm reading this book, by the way: https://www.amazon.com/Anyone-Who-Ever-Asks-Converse/dp/0593187369/ref=asc_df_0593187369/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=598269409894&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5544667541772758368&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032059&hvtargid=pla-1719832502296&psc=1

And I am also thinking of this old song of mine: https://soundcloud.com/swanwilliam/04-so-long-again?in=swanwilliam/sets/bill-swan-1996-2002&si=b6233d5ced0d4f9d875fb355f9d07436&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Verse 1:

When your feelings have crossed

over the bridge

and you're so separated now, you can't bereave

A valuable thing

you learn from loss

is no regrets, you take away what you've found

is you can take yourself away from the found

Chorus:

So long, again

It seems I've been around

too long, again

but I've found my way out

etc.

Not that I usually go out of the way to explain my often vague lyrics anymore, but I tried to explore both meanings of the word "bereave" all those years ago: 

bereave

verb

be·​reave bi-ˈrēv  bē-

bereaved or bereft bi-ˈreft  bē- ; bereaving

transitive verb

1

: to deprive of something —usually used with of

Madam, you have bereft me of all words …

—William Shakespeare

2

: to take away (a valued or necessary possession) especially by force