I don’t remember where I read this story exactly, one of the many books in boxes I imagine, something on spirituality or maybe Zen Buddhism, but I find myself remembering it from time to time. Emperor Hirohito, who spent a good deal of his time being ushered from small theater to small theater to present himself to various audiences, was lead by accident to an empty theater. The Emperor stood for the longest time center stage and finally bowed. His staff was horrified as he walked off stage, fearing the absolute worst. He stood before them and said, “That was wonderful. We should do this more often.”

To me, for today at least, this story asks, is it better to speak to an idiot, by which I mean someone who knows nothing and with whom I have nothing in common, or to no one at all? It is the difference between talking to those I sometimes have coffee with and talking to absolutely no one on this blog. When I’m done speaking here I find myself feeling good about everything I've said. So I find myself siding with Hirohito. How wonderful to find myself in an empty room.