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I have a commonplace book for facts, and another for poetry, but I find it difficult always to preserve the distinction which I had in mind, for the most interesting and beautiful facts are so much the more poetry and that is their success. They are translated from earth to heaven. I see that if my facts were sufficiently vital and significant—perhaps transmuted into the substance of the human mind—I should need but one book of poetry to contain them all.

I have a commonplace book for facts, and another for poetry, but I find it difficult always to preserve the distinction which I had in mind, for the most interesting and beautiful facts are so much the more poetry and that is their success. They are translated from earth to heaven. I see that if my facts were sufficiently vital and significant—perhaps transmuted into the substance of the human mind—I should need but one book of poetry to contain them all.
Henry David Thoreau

A potential student went to see a Zen master and asked: “If I work really hard, how long will it take to become enlightened.” The Zen master looked at the man, and said: “Ten years.” “No, no,” the man said, “I mean to really work at it—” The Zen master cut him off. “I’m sorry, I misjudged you—twenty years.” “Wait,” the man blurted out, “I’m very serious, you don’t understand—” “Thirty years,” said the Zen master.

A potential student went to see a Zen master and asked: “If I work really hard, how long will it take to become enlightened.”
The Zen master looked at the man, and said: “Ten years.”
“No, no,” the man said, “I mean to really work at it—”
The Zen master cut him off. “I’m sorry, I misjudged you—twenty years.”
“Wait,” the man blurted out, “I’m very serious, you don’t understand—”
“Thirty years,” said the Zen master.
ZEN STORY

My experience with Zicam

A pernicious cold has been making its way though my family. First, my 11 yo son developed a cold and cough about 4 weeks ago. Then about 2 weeks ago my wife developed a severe cold with sinus infection and a hacking cough. So when I woke up last Thursday with that feeling in my throat, I knew what was about to happen.

I’ve never been able to catch a cold in the earliest stages before because I always just think it’s temporary stuffiness, but I knew I was about to be slammed with a nasty virus. I went to the corner drug store and picked up a bottle of Zicam RapidMelt tablets. My father once reported a good experience with a Zicam product a few years ago, so I thought I’d give it a try.

After taking the first tablet and waiting the required 30 minutes before eating or drinking, I immediately noticed a change in my sense of taste. Virtually all of my sense of taste was gone. I had a cup of coffee, and it tasted nothing like coffee. I googled Zicam and loss of taste and found some horror stories of people who had permanently lost their senses of taste or smell after using the nasal swab versions of Zicam (which have since been taken off shelves), so that made me feel a little better that I might not have permanently neutered my tongue.

The writing on the package claims Zicam “reduces the duration of cold symptoms when taken at the first sign of a cold”. This is what I was hoping for, and I can happily report that it is what I experienced. My first symptoms appeared on Thursday, Friday the virus ramped up pretty well but subsided on Saturday, and I took my last RapidMelt on Monday. Some extremely minor symptoms linger, but nothing I can complain about. I’m also extremely happy that my full sense of taste returned within 36 hours of taking my last tablet!