when liesl (my daughter) and i were in london a couple months ago, we took a little trip to greenwich, and bumbled about in their wonderful market. i found a booth with beautiful hand-paintded t-shirts with chinese caligraphy. the old chinese lady in the booth told me her husband painted the shirts (who knows?). i considered many of them, and ended up buying one that, in big gloopy jackson-pollocky caligraphy says “calmness”.

well, that’s what i was told it says. it could say “i’m a stupid american”, and i’d still be smiling.

my wife laughed when i showed it to her. people at my office laughed yesterday when i wore it for the first time and told them what it said.

i explained that i’m hoping it has some power of suggestion.