It’s taken me a few years of not listening to begin to understand that the information put in front of us is almost entirely not our own ideas. Having an original thought is hard. I like to think about nature because the ideas conveyed are not direct, like watching CNN or browsing social media where those thoughts are not ours — they get sent to ya.

Nature inspires me and its ideas have been around for a long time. I’ve spent the last decade considering mathematics, geometry and nature. One of my influences has always been DNA. We all have a much better understanding that these tiny molecules drive everything about us.

Packed into every seed is wonder. Farming food is a joy and delight. Its a lot of work too. Today we spend so much time on line, disconnected from all things human that I’ve begun to wonder if all these electronics are useful. I enjoy hearing from friends and having a place to share words like these.

I miss seeing people’s faces, hugs and handshakes. This week more than one friend has asked me if I want to harm myself. At the gun range a range officer asked me if I wanted to kill myself before shooting with me.

Before taking someone flying I like to ask that we not kill each other. The gliders I like to fly have dual controls and a misplaced item could cause a crash. So I guess it seemed reasonable to ask me the same question before shooting.

For many years I hosted a dinner for my friends around the time of the RSA conference. It was a place to gather and not talk about the internet or security. Many of the folks that came to it were world class hackers, invented large swaths of internet stuff and are also friends. You could sit with someone who was a billionaire, or the fella that first created email. It was cool that no one really cared what anyone did or who they were. We ate together and played with farm animals. It was a moment to meet before days of meetings and sales pitches where we would all have to wear our masks and interact based on our history.

Since I separated from Pilar my friends have been worried about me. I take risks. I learned that when you drastically change your life it can cause a change in your identity. For me that meant that I learned some martial arts and that I love a good fight. Learning to not be invested in winning or losing will make your friends think you are dangerous. Actually it’s being invested in the process rather than the outcome, a safer way of thinking about challenges.

Once I had the confidence to fly, I learned that flying upside down is what I wanted to do. I love it. So many of you wonder “is Rick ok?” Well, I’m not the same person I was a few years ago, when I had a wife and a farm, and you need to be ok with that. I am just doing better things which some times create conflict.

Working on improving my life may seem strange to you, I’m finding my potential — let me do that.

Categories: Icewater