Unidentified Artist (Walter Gropius):
"Aluminum City" Housing, New Kensington, Pennsylvania, 1941-1942
(c. 1942)

Gifted Us With The Experience
One of this week's stories recounted how a U-Haul truck we'd rented broke down, stranding us at a remote truck stop along the Columbia River. It was a hundred degrees as we sat waiting for the rental company to respond to our plight. We overlooked a line of diesel pumps and an ever-shifting set of semi-trucks. Each driver in turn would use a long-handled brush to wash their windshield before pulling their rig forward and shuffling off to the sandwich shop inside. Most were dressed in cargo shorts, a short-sleeved tee shirt, and open-toed crocks, a surprising wardrobe for what I thought would seem like tough truck drivers. They looked like they'd been lounging beside a pool instead of hauling freight along the historic Oregon Trail. The Muse and I shared a pleasant afternoon watching those proceedings, occasionally wandering inside to use the restroom or stretch our legs. I'd passed this truck stop innumerable times over the years without feeling moved to stop and experience the operation. By late afternoon, we heard from a tow truck driver, learning that he'd arrive in another hour. We drove to a little roadside dive for supper. That place, too, I'd passed by for more than fifty years without ever feeling curious enough to stop. Supper was regrettable but edible. We sped home in fading light, arriving just ahead of the tow truck driver, who unloaded the rented box truck and headed out for his three-hour return trip to his garage. Our summer had been missing a breakdown, but we'd never suspected until the universe gifted us with the experience.

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Weekly Writing Summary

Re-Start
"I intend to watch."
This FollowingChapters Story finds me ReStarting our Never-ending Porch Remodeling Project. A new phase seems like a new beginning.

Our never-ending porch remodeling project restarted after a long pause, with significant progress made over the summer on fabricating and painting railing parts which were inspired by The Muse’s historical research. The Muse designed the railings, incorporating traditional styles and clever updates to meet current building codes. Balusters were spray-painted for efficiency, and finish details required repainting some elements. Our master carpenter, Marco, began precise fitting and installation of the railings, focusing first on sections with the tightest fits. Final steps still include cladding and painting posts and beams, and building some back stairs, which should keep the work ongoing through September, I suspect. I expect the finished result to last for generations and I remain actively engaged in the process.


Charles Frederick Keller: Swing Shift (1940)

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Contemplation
"I feel wealthy beyond all reason."
This FollowingChapters Story finds me deep in Contemplation, my most unlikely superpower. The most intangible might well be the most powerful.

I describe a twice-daily meditation routine lasting about 45 minutes total, maintained for over fifty years, as a defining personal practice. I describe this routine as a unique advantage, not a competition, for I believe contemplative time essential and necessarily purposeless—providing a pause from purposeful pursuits and helping me manage the mental friction of daily life. I find meditation particularly beneficial before difficult challenges, providing me access to insight and enabling me to face obstacles with less anxiety. I equate all contemplative outcomes as success through acceptance. I compare this regimen to tending a rose garden, requiring consistent attention for satisfaction, and, ultimately, I consider the intangible benefits of this habit to be the true measure of my wealth and personal development.


Giuseppe Longhi: Mediterende filosoof [Meditating philosopher] (1776-1831)

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Bagging
"…the world sure seemed to be her oyster."
This FollowingChapters Story finds me creating complications for myself.

I describe how a self-imposed tradition turns writing birthday poems for my grandchildren into a complex and stressful obligation. Each year, I wrestle with doubt and creative block, feeling pressure to make every Bag Poem unique and relevant to the child’s current life. Inspiration arrives gradually, with ideas transforming from scattered phrases into a complete poem, which—once begun—flows quickly and needs little revision. Although the process feels fraught with anxiety and humility, the final product puts the grandchild at the center, serving as a keepsake for their special day. This story closes with a poem excerpt, celebrating a granddaughter’s style and marking her birthday moment.


Shibata Zeshin: A bag (1866)

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Homes
"Every past inhabits just such a shadow visible when any prior owner drives past."
This FollowingChapters Story finds me driving through a neighborhood I used to be a part of but am no longer.

I consider how ‘home’ has been more of an emotional space for me, shaped by many previous moves and difficult transitions. Every residence, regardless of how long I occupied it, left a permanent mark on me, creating a growing bittersweetness. Revisiting old homes or neighborhoods brings both familiarity and alienation, underscoring that while memories and attachments remain, the physical spaces and sense of identity tied to them inevitably change. Attempts to improve or maintain these homes were never futile, just extraneous, recognizing that the actual ‘home’ lies in my personal history, not in the bricks and mortar left behind.


Arthur Rothstein: Home of Postmaster Brown, Old Rag, Virginia (1935)

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HaulingAssets
"…The Muse isn't certain what she wants to do with the furniture the new treasures will displace."
This FollowingChapters Story finds The Muse and I HaulingAssets with rented equipment.

I describe the experience of renting a U-Haul truck for a move, finding delight in the challenges and mishaps that come from driving a large, unfamiliar vehicle. I recount challenges like navigating narrow streets, a prolonged hunt for breakfast, altered routes due to GPS alerts and road closures, and ultimately, a breakdown that required a tow and extended our journey to fifteen hours. Despite the setbacks, the experience created memorable stories, highlighting how most people are out of their element with moving trucks, making such moves both stressful and entertaining.


Charles François Daubigny: The Heritage of the Wagon [The Children with the Wagon] (1861)

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SecondOrderStupidity
"…acknowledging just how first-order stupid even the brightest of us can seem."
In this FollowingChapters Story, I acknowledge how stupid I can be while acknowledging how damaging those who tenaciously remain stupid about their own stupidity (SecondOrderStupidity) can seem.

I argue that a deepening societal malaise isn’t simply caused by incompetence, but by a pervasive ignorance of one’s own ignorance—termed “SecondOrderStupidity.” This leads people to trust flawed evidence, seek to confirm their biases, and resist correcting influences. I warn that while such thinking seems self-destructive, its effects unfold slowly and inflict considerable damage on society at large. Both political leaders and citizens, rich and poor, are caught in this cycle of denial, seeking satisfaction in ways that only reinforce their foolishness, with no quick remedy in sight.


Gregorius Fentzel:* The Three Orders of the Human Race - Alternate Title: The Combination of Church and State to Govern the People - Series/Book Title: The Triumph of the Four Cardinal Virtues (17th century) - *[Gregorius Fentzel was a German copperplate engraver active in Nuremberg during the mid-17th century. Few details of his life are known, and his works are primarily based on the designs of other artists, most notably the Flemish painter Maerten de Vos.]

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This writing week felt like a return to ordinary times, though little shifted. Our never-ending porch remodeling project Re-Started, moving from a fabrication and preparation stage into actual installation! By the end of the writing week, five of sixteen porch railing segments had been installed. Much work remains. I found reason to explain (again) my long-term pattern of indifferent Contemplation, my secret superpower. I revisited an old neighborhood and waxed nostalgic in Homes. The Muse and I broke down in a relatively isolated corner of Oregon in HaulingAssets. I ended this writing week reflecting on SecondOrderStupid, which is to stupid as genius is to regular intelligence. Thank you for following along!

©2025 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

Tags: #FollowingChapters, #PureSchmaltz