“Our life is frittered away by detail... simplify, simplify.”
Henry David Thoreau
Mr. Thoreau’s words are far easier to quote than to live. As I continue cleaning out closets and deleting apps on my phone, his words have been echoing in my mind with a deeper resonance as I start my new chapter. And as I begin to reconsider the way I approach love—familial, platonic, and romantic.
This move isn’t just about changing my physical location. It’s also about letting go of emotional baggage. I’m shedding the excess and returning to what truly matters. I’m clearing out mental clutter, stepping away from toxic patterns, and releasing all those “great” expectations that never actually felt all that great to begin with.
I’m not just paring down boxes. I’m paring down beliefs. And while that process can be uncomfortable, clarity usually asks us to step outside our comfort zones. Quietly, something profound is happening: My life is beginning to feel lighter, more intentional.
Familial love is becoming less about obligation and more about authenticity. I’m realizing I don’t need to play every role that’s expected of me to stay connected. I love more freely when I stop trying to manage every nuance of family dynamics and dysfunction. Presence over perfection—that’s my new motto. This applies to both my biological and chosen families.
Platonic love is shifting too. I no longer feel the need to keep every connection alive just because it once mattered. Some relationships are seasonal—and that’s okay. The friendships I nurture now feel deeper, freer, and more reciprocal. I’ve learned that true friendship doesn’t demand constant tending. It grows best in the soil of mutual understanding and space.
Romantic love, for me, used to be layered in performance and projection—trying to be what someone else wanted, or expecting them to be what I imagined. Now I crave something simpler. Not easier—but simpler: honesty over games, calm over chaos, presence over passion that tends to burn too fast. I want love that feels like breathing deeply, not like holding my breath.
This move isn’t just relocating me—it’s reorienting me. I’m (re)learning that life isn’t about doing or having more. It’s about needing less. Less drama. Less noise. Fewer expectations. And in that space, I’m finding more. More meaning. More truth. More connection.
Thoreau’s “Simplify, simplify” is no longer a minimalist mantra. It’s a friendly reminder for me to be present, to be real, and to let go of anything that doesn’t bring me peace.
Because my life is simply better when I simplify.
Keep calm and carry on!
Clint 🌈✌️
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ON THIS DAY = JULY 12
BIRTHDAYS
100 BC = Julius Caesar = Roman politician and general 🌈
1817 = Henry David Thoreau = American writer and philosopher 🌈
1854 = George Eastman = American businessman and Eastman Kodak founder
1868 = Stefan George = German poet and a translator 🌈
1874 = Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven = German artist and poet 🌈
1876 = Max Jacob = French poet, painter, writer, and critic 🌈
1880 = Tod Browning = American filmmaker
1884 = Amedeo Modigliani = Italian painter and sculptor
1884 = Louis B. Mayer = Russian-born American producer and MGM co-founder
1895 = Buckminster Fuller = American architect, writer, and futurist
1895 = Oscar Hammerstein II = American director, producer, and songwriter
1904 = Pablo Neruda = Chilean poet, diplomat, and Nobel Prize laureate
1908 = Milton Berle = American comedian and actor
1917 = Andrew Wyeth = American artist
1923 = James E. Gunn = American author
1934 = Van Cliburn = American pianist 🌈
1943 = Christine McVie = English singer-songwriter
1948 = Richard Simmons = American fitness trainer and actor 🌈
1951 = Cheryl Ladd = American actor
1959 = Charlie Murphy = American actor and comedian
1971 = Loni Love = American comedian, actor, and talk show host
1972 = Jake Wood = English actor
1975 = Cheyenne Jackson = American actor and singer 🌈
1976 = Kyrsten Sinema = American politician 🌈
1977 = Steve Howey = American actor
1978 = Michelle Rodriguez = American actor 🌈
1978 = Topher Grace = American actor
EVENTS
1493 = Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle, one of the best-documented early printed books, is published.
1962 = The Rolling Stones play their first show—billed as “the Rollin’ Stones—at the Marquee Club in London.
1976 = Family Feud premieres on ABC.
1997 = Hayao Miyazaki's animated film Princess Mononoke is released, becoming the highest-grossing film in Japan for a few months.
1997 = Oz premieres on HBO.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.”
Henry David Thoreau
You and Thoreau are following the path of the sages (including notably the Taoist sages). Nobody ever claimed it was easy. My best wishes to you in this journey that never ends.
I enjoyed your post. Thank you