Good.

Good.

I am not writing about good as related to morality.

No, I am writing about good as in different from amazing.

Good as in a day to day something that we appreciate as good, and not needing amazing.

Some people chase amazing all the time.. and they ruin their lives.

Amazing once in a rare while is fine.. is good.

But good is better for the day to day.

Why am I thinking about “good” in this way?

I just came home from a taproom that I’m surprised I had not been to until this evening.

No, I’m not just writing about beer. I’m going deeper than that, although for me, beer is close to being a sacrament, as close to a sacrament as I get..

I am being both literal and metaphorical tonight..

So this taproom and brewery. One of the two largest local brewers in Boise. The two biggest are Sockeye and Payette. Their beers are sold in local and national grocery store chains, not just at their own locations.

I’ve been to the Sockeye brewpub several times, but this was my first trip to the taproom of Payette. I’ve been driving past it in the evenings for years, on the way home from the downtown library, where I tutored ESL students.

But I never stopped in.

Tonight, I met a friend out there. He is much more dialed into this town, even though I’ve lived here longer. He follows the food trucks on instagram, knows the taprooms, the restaurants, and he suggested the place.

I’m thinking, great, because Fly Line Viennese Style Lager is my favorite lager, and Payette makes it. I’ve been buying it at Trader Joe’s for over a year.

It is flat compared to Bud or Coors or whatever.. not nearly as bubbly. Not perfect, but it was a certain flavor.. a very mellow brew.

It is good.

It is a high quality, very subtly unique, day to day beer.

Tonight at the taproom, before I had a pint of Fly Line, I had what is called a “flight.” I don’t know why. It is a beer sampler.. 5 oz. glasses.. usually 4, 4 different brews.

Were any of these amazing? No.

But they were good to very good. Payette beer is good.

Fly Line is good.

The other kinds I sampled were also good.

None of them were amazing. I have found amazing at other small breweries in the area, but I hardly ever go to these places, and I almost never buy their beers in the stores when available. Not only do these beers cost more, but they are amazing, and I almost never want that. Too amazing for me.

Amazing can overload the senses. That is not something I often want. Alright, maybe overloading the senses.. a little.. in a good way..

Most of the time I need good, which, to meet my standards, is very good, but not the so amazing that I only want this amazing whatever it is maybe once a year or so.

Day to day good. That is what matters. This is what sustains us. This is what blesses us.

Do I need incredibly fancy and expensive restaurants? No. I need Good.

Do I need the latest trends and cultural obsessions?

No, I need Good.

I’m the same way with musical instruments. I don’t feel the need to pay thousands of dollars for an electric guitar or bass, when I can go to a pawn shop or music store, and buy a used, foreign-made instrument for $200 or less.. If I choose the right one, it is good.

Clothes.. same thing. I get them from thrift stores if I can, or else buy clothes new from wherever there is a sale. But I am selective. A used or deeply discounted pair of Dockers or Cabella’s khakis. Or some random brand of jeans I’ve never heard of, but it is a durable pair of jeans and fits well enough? Yes. Thank you, good.

Do I need incredibly fancy clothes from some shop in Beverly Hills, or, much more locally, the mall or some pricey store near here? Do I need to pay $300 for a pair of jeans?. I do not. T

The car I am driving. A Toyota Corolla. The one I am driving is 18 years old. As long as I am not dealing with heavy snow and ice, this is the only vehicle I want to drive. Why? It is good.

My philosophy of Good not only applies to food and drink and things we can buy, but people, as well.

What about women?

Do I want a woman who looks amazing and has the perfect body and who is glamorous and always exciting and needing to be out on the town and..

No. I want a woman who is Good. Good in many ways. Day to day good. Or rather, Good.

I hope that I, also, am good.

In its own way, Good can be Amazing.

That’s the real good.

Ok. I’m going to keep this post short. I have consumed some good beer, had good conversation with a friend of mine, not a woman, but still.. it is good to talk to a guy once in awhile too.

I had food from a truck called Bistro Babes. The food was simple..a Cuban sandwich and spiced fries.. and very good.

And I am now back home, in a good home.

Is the home where I and my relatives live fancy? No. Is it perfectly spotless? No. Do we have an amazing yard? Are we in an exclusive area? No.

But is our home good and do good people and a good little dog live in it? Yes.

And Boise.

Is it Paris? No. I’m not interested in Paris.

Actually, for me, Boise and surrounding area is amazing in many ways.. and I am certainly going to call it Good. How long it will remain this way, with three story apartment complexes popping up like mushrooms after a rain in almost every vacant lot, I don’t know.

I will choose to be optimistic, instead of worried, if I can.

And believe Boise will continue to be Good.

The Good is there.. where you are.. if you look for it.

Am I am in a perfect state of well-being now? No. I still have some pain, some confusion and frustration and.. I can focus more on all that or just realize that, despite all that..

I am feeling good, and am grateful for Good.

I hope you are too.