Three things from DAH.

DAH is me, David Anthony Hance. I write, organize, plan, produce, manage, direct, act, sing, promote, and make change (not the coin kind).​

First up this week, Never
I had my hair cut last in January 2020. When asked about my longer hair today, I swear that I'll never have my hair cut again. Never is a firm word. Neverness has been commented upon by many revered writers.

Never: Not Ever. It seems so firm, yet is often treated as a transitory rather than a forever "no."  How many of us have said, "never again," only to find ourselves at again and again no matter the stated nevers. I find myself in awe of, and even a bit alarmed by, those who say never and mean it, really mean it. When I swear that I'll never have my hair cut again, it's a response to our current circumstances. Circumstances will change. I expect the term of my never will change, too. For now, however, it's firm.
Coronavirus may never go away, World Health Organization warns 
or
If you'd rather read about keeping a hedgehog as a pet

Second up this week, Now
Now is all we've got. Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come. But now! All that I am, in this moment, I am. I'm not a particularly spiritual person, but I do appreciate the importance of the present moment. Reminding myself of this is grounding. I'm reading a book with a fabulous title: "Death: The End of Self-Improvement," by Joan Tollifson. I don't remember how I stumbled upon this book, but I'm pleased I did. It fits rather neatly with my read last week, "Why Bother?" by Jennifer Louden. Both books are remarkably uplifting, despite the gloom you may assume from their titles. My overly simplistic paraphrasing of a belief these authors share: Life is messy; we must make our peace with that; notice the beauty and joy and love; accept the messiness and live now. As a younger man, performing in Lanford Wilson's "Fifth of July" one of my fellow cast members was reading a book (backstage) about Wabi Sabi, the Japanese appreciation of the imperfect and impermanent in nature. We chatted about it then, and I wasn't sure I even understood the concept. But I've never forgotten that moment and that new-to-me idea. Now I can at least say I appreciate the impulse, to find the beauty in life's messiness.
Wabi Sabi: The Art of Imperfection

Third up this week, Napa
For most of my working life I've been involved with wine: earning an income and enjoying the product. Since the world-famous Napa Valley became wealth-soaked and over-hyped, sometime in the mid-1990s, I've said, "I'll never be part of the Napa wine scene." That's been an imperfect never, because I've had meetings in some lovely Napa Valley restaurants (not the touristy ones) and enjoyed some not-over-the-top Napa Valley wines. My friend Susana wrote recently about the Matthiasson Napa Valley Village Chardonnay. It sounds just perfect. And, now, two friends and I have made and bottled a wine from the 2018 vintage: A Gardener's Path Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Here's the story, from our back label: 
"Sal Godinez began his winemaking journey as a young immigrant from Mexico working on a winery's landscaping crew. His gardener's path led him into the vineyards, then into the wine cellar. He worked his way up to become an assistant winemaker and, ultimately, head winemaker. This wine is the most recent turn in Sal's path, working with his friends Jon Diaz and David Hance. This Cabernet Sauvignon will reward cellar aging through at least 2023." 
I guess never ended because now we're working on the next vintage. 
In SONOMA Magazine (ha!) 10 Napa Valley Spots Locals Like to Keep Secret

A sentimental pep-talk from Quaker abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892):
DON'T QUIT
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is strange with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns
And many a failure comes about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

That's all for this week. 
From Mary Oliver's poem "Sometimes" …  

Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it. 

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