May 15, 2023: I Saw My Father in My Dream Last Night

I saw my father in my dream last night.

His presence, his face.
The warm feeling of having a father
again,
of having roots.

I don’t remember the dream,
but I do know that I miss the man.
I was happy to see him.

Hands that knew
how to build a fire,
how to oil and clean a rifle,
how to use a hammer,
and how to make the guitar sing.

I listened to some of his old songs this morning,
and I cried.

It’s been more than 5 years now,
and I still miss the man,
my father.

A hard-working man,
a simple man,
a man whose son I’m proud to be.

February 4, 2023: People Try to Fix You

People try to fix you
as if you’re broken
or as if you have been doing things wrong
all your life.

They tell you, “You don’t understand.
Let me show you how it’s done.”
And you let them.
You stay calm and let them
teach you whatever it is they want to teach you.

People try to fix you
and expect you to be fixed the next time they see you.
But they don’t understand that they can never change you
because they are the ones who need to change.

They try to fix you
only because they are broken,
and you don’t have the courage or the time
to tell them that they are.

Herrera Esteli Brazilian Maduro Toro Especial Cigar

Have a Cigar: Herrera Esteli Brazilian Maduro Toro Especial

Name: Herrera Esteli Brazilian Maduro Toro Especial

Country: Nicaragua

Shape: Parejo

Size: (6 inches x 52)

Strength: Medium to Full

When I’m with out with the boys
putting some smoke in the air,
reaching the final third of the cigar
means that
we don’t have much time left.
It’s like a pub’s last call, if you like.

Coincidentally, when I reach the final third
of my cigar,
I usually order my last drink.

On average, I have three drinks with every cigar
I smoke.

Today, I had two cigars.
That means I had six drinks.

There are really two paths a man can take.

The first path is pairing the cigar with the drink.
The second path is pairing the drink with the cigar.

When I’m at a cigar lounge, I do the latter.
This means that I choose the cigar first,
and I order my drink only after I light my cigar.
Sometimes, I stick with the same drink,
and I have three of the same.
If I’m having peated whisky, for example,
I’ll have three glasses of the same whisky.
If I’m having rum, I’ll have two more glasses
of the same rum.
Et cetera, et cetera.

Other times, when the aficionado in me demands it,
I have three different drinks,
pairing one with every third
of the cigar.

When I’m at a gathering or a party, however,
I am forced to pair the cigar with the drink.
There, I choose my cigar based on the available beverage.
And that’s not a problem
because I always carry more than one cigar with me.

One must carry more than one cigar with him
at all times
so that one never feels like
he’s out of options
or
he doesn’t have much time left.