Goddamn, this winter is getting to me.

Last Friday was the Setsubun celebration at the local kindergarten where I teach English here in Japan.

Setsubun is a celebration which marks the beginning of Spring in Japan, in accordance with the lunar calendar and Chinese tradition. It is a time of cleansing, both inside and out, for almost all Japanese people, with houses being cleaned and—perhaps most amusingly, for Westerners—beans thrown at demons symbolizing both internal and external bad luck, bad habits, and evil spirits, driving them away.

image source.

Anyway, Friday was a great day. I was back from being at home sick with a cold, the teachers at the school were talking about Spring, and everybody was screaming and throwing beans at several old men dressed up as demons storming around the kindergarten. It’s legitimately scary, with the lights shut off, and soundtrack of thunder and lightning sounds playing while all the madness ensues. Lots of kids end up screaming and crying. It’s something that would probably never be allowed in schools in the US. Anyway, the kids drove off the demons and lived to tell about it.

I thought Damn, this ain’t bad. Sun’s shining, shit’s poppin’, and Spring will be here soon. I felt like I could handle all the worries and anxieties which had been weighing heavily upon me:

• Extortion (tax) season
• My son’s social well-being/life/education
• Moving
• Bills
• THIS DISMAL-ASS FUCKING CRYPTO MARKET
• Constant gray skies and being sorta snowbound here in Niigata (this one takes a big toll on me).
• The state and its myriad regulations, threats, and licensing impositions making so many people reticent to buy, use, and/or invest in cryptocurrencies. They don’t wanna learn or hear about anarchism and sound economics. Why should they? The purveyors of snake oil econ still possess great, violent powers to be deployed anytime, anywhere, and for nearly any reason, against them.

Well, the sun was short-lived. We back.

Bitcoin’s low. Extortion season approacheth as a creeping marauder, and my kid is watching copious amounts of television every day, though we try to get out and play as much as possible. My wife’s back also decided to call for a bit of a break in the form of rendering her near immobile last Friday. Jesus fucking Christ man. Is this shit gonna...let up?

Sometimes I honestly just need a vent. An escape. An expression (literally the pressing outwards of all the bullshit fear inside). Thanks for that, Steemians. Your audience means more to me than you probably know. But yeah. Fuck this shit! Fuck winter! The snow is beautiful, sure. Yes. Okay. Alright. I get it. But enough!

Alright. That out of my system I will attempt to end this weird, stream of consciousness post on a positive stride...

Let’s keep it real though: Anarchy remains and there’s a lot to remember to smile about.

• I have all my arms and legs and they work.
• My family is healthy.
• I AM ALIVE!
• There is still Steemit!
• This is thee prime time to step back, survey the surroundings, and keep planting seeds for the Springtime when they’ll pop out of the ground, new, green, and exciting.

What kind of seeds should be planted?

All kinds. Keep on your blog grind even in these dismal, lower-engagement periods and reap the Steem and loyal community contacts, peers, and friends, that will remember your engagement, commentary, and support even when markets were not so exciting.

Keep on your philosophical grind, debating, sharing, and preaching the self-apparent and logically obvious gospel of voluntaryism and individual self-ownership.

Sew seeds of your future work ethic, drive, and grind, by resting now in the form of quiet instrospection, non-judgmental self-acceptance, and learning. Hunker down. The time for popping back up ready to rock ‘n’ roll will be here before you know it.

You’re not alone, man. Trust me. Grab a handful of lucky beans (fukumame), take aim as best you can, and let fly!!!!

”Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!”

~KafkA

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Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DTube and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)