In 2020 I set out to plan my retirement. Covid-19 was raging, and Black Lives Matter was surging through the streets as I descended to the bottom of Dark Canyon in Utah (photo above), seeking clarity on what I might contribute…

Five years have since elapsed, and it seems I am a failure at retirement: I agreed to take on one last design project, which will take about two years to complete. Then I’ll be done – really. Way past my expiration date!

This has given me lots of time to mull over my high-falutin’ plans for the future. Result: I abandoned almost all of them as unnecessary and self-important attempts to remain relevant.

So today I am cleaning up my website, stripping away the archival stuff of the past and withdrawing the enticements for an imaginary future.

As for the present: I am dusting off the kalimbas and flutes and balaphones that have been resting unplayed for thirty years, and I’m practicing my various n’gonis. The idea is for Nancy and I to resume making music together after I get my chops back in a few months.

I am indeed fortunate, and I am incredibly grateful for my marriage, my family, and my home and garden.

I am keeping the website open, just in case I crank out something I’d like to share…

Vishu Magee / February 2025