25-3-20-Th
79 ⏳ 286 🗓️ W12
RMSDJ 📖 ✍🏽
🌡️75° – 51° ☀️
🌖 ♐
🧠 Metacognition & Serendipity: The Dance of Discovery
I received a text message from AD, who was attending a VA event for veterans seeking housing assistance. I told him to handle his business, and we’d catch up later.
By 0900, I was deep into my writing, exploring a concept that had been circling my mind for weeks: What is the question really asking? That inquiry feels deceptively simple, yet within it lies the foundation of true understanding.
A great question doesn’t just seek an answer—it demands a response that reshapes how we think. Asking What is the question really asking? forces us to pause, to probe beneath the surface. It reveals the unspoken assumptions that quietly steer our conclusions. This kind of inquiry reflects the heart of metacognition—thinking about thinking—and echoes the Socratic method, where wisdom emerges not from swift answers but from patient questioning.
For hours, I wrestled with that idea. By 1400, I had formulated a dialogue exploring this method, a conversation between myself and Maestro that I immortalized in Evernote—a codex of evolving ideas. The notes remain untitled for now, but I’ll return to them soon to refine and expand their meaning. Clarity demands patience.
Interestingly, the entire process felt guided by something more elusive—serendipity. As I shaped my thoughts, unplanned ideas began to surface, like scattered puzzle pieces falling into place. Much of what I wrote felt like a collection of fortunate accidents—a reminder that discovery often emerges not from design but from the unexpected. Serendipity, that benevolent trickster, had once again played its part.
I revised the book’s introduction to better align with this new direction. What began as a series of fragmented thoughts had now coalesced into something purposeful—a philosophical framework that places great questions at the heart of meaningful thinking.
🏡 A Surprise Encounter with Fred
At 1030, I peered out my door and startled Fred, our manager at Meridian Point Properties. He jumped back, his face momentarily frozen.
“Man,” he said, laughing, “you scared the hell out of me! I didn’t expect to see you like that.”
I grinned and told him I’d sent an email to him and his assistant property manager, Nuha, about veteran housing. Fred nodded and shared some valuable insights.
“Veteran housing is tricky,” he said. “Yeah, the government pays on time—but only if the vet keeps their paperwork straight. If they forget to file those forms—especially near the end of the year or at the close of tenancy—the payments stop.”
That bureaucratic wrinkle struck me. It’s not enough to secure government support; veterans must remain vigilant with paperwork or risk losing that essential aid. Fred’s perspicacious grasp of these complexities revealed just how deeply he understood the bureaucratic landscape.
Fred’s explanation reminded me that systems that seem straightforward often conceal unexpected complications—a reality that prefigured my later frustrations at Costco.
🍽️ Breaking the Fast
By 1230, I had clocked 16½ hours of fasting. The reward? A surprisingly enjoyable meal: tamale pie paired with black beans—a bold combination that worked better than I expected. The tamale pie, with its rich corn base and spiced filling, felt indulgent yet satisfying. I rounded off the meal with coffee, chocolates, a medjool date, and a glass of carrot juice. It wasn’t the most conventional lineup, but the flavors—earthy, sweet, and slightly bitter—created a curiously satisfying balance.
That meal left me pleasantly farctate—full yet content.
🏋️♂️ Fitness, Choices & Frustrations
I’d planned to reward myself with a jacuzzi soak, but the day demanded a trade-off. Luxuriate in warm water or commit to a workout? I chose the latter.
Discipline is an injunction I return to often—a voice within that orders me to push harder when comfort beckons. Today was no different.
At Los Angeles Fitness on Reseda, I tackled my abs on the LifeFitness abdominal machine before spending 20 minutes on the stationary bike. The workout was progressing smoothly until an unwelcome disruption.
A man strolled in, walked straight to the light switch, and flipped it on without so much as a glance at the rest of us. I shut the lights off and reminded him that they had been dimmed before his arrival. He stared at me, seemingly surprised that anyone would object. His casual arrogance annoyed me—a perfect example of presumption wrapped in carelessness.
I moved on to the LifeFitness calf extension machine—recently repaired after three frustrating weeks out of order. That long-overdue fix provided a satisfying sense of closure. Afterward, I did 10 strong sets on the Nitro chest machine before finishing with six sets of 10 repetitions on the LifeFitness abductor machine. Each set felt like progress, and progress has a rhythm all its own.
🍗 The Costco Conundrum
By 1626, I found myself at Costco, determined to grab a rotisserie chicken and a few essentials. The air outside carried a hint of warmth—nearly 80 degrees—a reminder that next week’s predicted 91-degree weather would have me spending more time in the pool.
While scanning the aisles, I noticed Costco had swapped their sturdy green food bags for thin, flimsy substitutes. They felt disposable in the worst sense—cheap, fragile, and seemingly destined to fail. I’ll be having a word with Alfie, the manager. Standards matter, and even small changes like this can quietly diminish a store’s reputation.
While hunting for bread, I ran into Sihan, a dark-skinned man with a friendly smile who always greets me warmly. We spoke about Leo, a former Costco employee who had vanished from view.
“I’ve tried calling him,” I said. “No response.”
“Yeah,” Sihan sighed. “He’s hard to reach.”
I shared the news about Ron’s passing—a quiet moment of reflection in the middle of Costco’s chaotic bustle. Loss has a way of casting shadows—even in a place lined with oversized carts and towering shelves.
Sihan also mentioned that Leo’s personal life had grown complicated. He’d married a longtime Costco employee, but the relationship ended badly. Later, Leo briefly dated a woman who contracted COVID during her reckless outings. When her behavior jeopardized her family’s health, the relationship collapsed.
It struck me how thin the threads of connection can become—how quickly they fray under strain.
⚖️ Legal Matters
While still at Costco, Mike Kia called me about the OPS versus Billion Me case. He mentioned interrogatories and documents that required filing at the Los Angeles courthouse. The financial reality hit hard: no law firm would take the case on contingency, and I lacked the funds to wage a drawn-out legal battle.
Still, persistence carries its own power. With a fee waiver in hand, I’ll gather the necessary documents and chart my path forward. Some victories are won by endurance alone.
📱 Experimenting with GPT Note
Later that evening, I revisited the GPT Note application—a tool I hadn’t touched in almost a year. Its interface felt both familiar and foreign. Like dusting off an old chessboard, I wondered what strategies it might reveal with fresh eyes.
Reflections of Gratitude
Today carried a surprising clarity—each moment layered with questions, conversations, and decisions. My dialogue on metacognition underscored the importance of asking better questions. Fred’s insights reminded me that success often hinges on preparation, while my time at Costco reaffirmed the power of small standards.
I’m grateful for AD’s commitment to veterans, for the return of functional gym equipment, and for my own ability to adapt—whether in court, in conversation, or at the dinner table.
Socrates once said that an unexamined life is not worth living. Today reminded me that an unexamined question is equally lifeless. True growth requires the courage to ask, What is the question really asking? The answers that follow may surprise us.
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