It’s only 9 am but my brain is already full of fodder. “Nearly 50 Charged in College Admissions Bribery Scandal.” An obit of a man who loved catching salmon but gave up hunting. The way coffee tastes. My to-do list, the future day unfurling too fast.

I want to be poetic, write gorgeous words that start a conversation. Instead daylight savings woke me up an hour early. And the bribery scandal makes me think about my high school junior. How getting into college is a racket, but I’m supposed to set aside all criticisms and play the game well. Without cheating. With making sure she preps for the SAT. Take the SAT more than once. Try the ACT, too. See which one favors her test-taking style. Start a club. Visit colleges, but only when they are in session. Take a hard load of classes senior year but not too hard: applying for college is like taking a class.

That’s my brain dump. That’s not poetry. But my brain is lit by the headlines. I dump it out and see what is left. Deadlines. An interview in 45 minutes. Music. Soda bread. What can I sandwich together and can I make it rhyme?

Nah, all I can do is say isn’t this world something? How many articles will I see in the next few days about the scandal and the hard truth of college admissions? How I can decide not to immerse myself in that news. That’s the news of this blog. What I put in my brain matters. My brain loves a good headline and online connection. Instead, I’m going to do my best to keep reaching for what really feeds me: in-person connection, writing, reading books and poems, my bookstore job, even the tasks of living.

That’s all I got today. Send word and tell me what’s on your mind. I’d love to hear from you.