Presently Absent
Sharing or not sharing: that is the question. I go through cycles; one day, I’m determined to just use my voice, no matter what. The next, I feel defiant and determined to never bother again. A day or two later,…
I Will Just Keep Reading, Thinking, and Writing
And you? I seldom hold a book in my hands and think, “Somebody wrote this crap?” or “Why on earth did anyone see fit to publish this?” There have been a few—what comes immediately to mind are one on self-publishing…
We Can’t Let the Light Go Out
“Men do not learn when they believe they already know.” —Barbara Ward I added that quote to the signature line of my email long ago. I am still unsure about who Barbara Ward actually is or was: an author (probably), an…
When You’re a Stranger
Where did I come from and who am I? Do typical people expend much time on these questions, or is it just me and a handful of other narcissists? I actually am genuinely interested in those big questions, perhaps, most…
Letting Myself Look
I guess I have not written about Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O’Neill and that surprises me. It, or maybe the just the Joe Rogan chat with Tom O’Neill, turned out…
Please Don’t Get Comfortable
The best part of reading more than one book at any period of time is finding the connections among them. It is a conversation, and like most conversations, paying attention is important, because if you do, you’ll likely find answers…
Almost a Year
The day after Ash Wednesday, I remembered my not terribly solid Lenten tradition of reading The Gaze of Love by Sister Wendy Beckett, so I pulled the book off the shelf and quickly caught up. The subtitle is Meditations on…
Discernment and Desire
If nothing else, the last year has taught me to be more discerning. I have learned that little is as it seems and nothing that comes out of the mouths of the ruling elite or their propaganda machine is to…
Whose Voices are in Your Head?
One of the greatest aspects of my little life centered here at home is the relative ease with which I can keep opinions, criticisms, and judgments out of my existence. There are times, of course, when I drag them in,…
Who Wanted It First?
Yesterday, I tried to put my finger on what separates me from so many people I encounter. I tossed around one notion after another, but none felt quite right until I hit upon the word “quest.” Yet even that misses…
Sifting and Sorting the Pretty and the Beautiful
I have got to get some semblance of a writing routine wedged into my days. So, here I sit, with headphones plugged into some of the classical music offerings from Halidon on Youtube. Luke shares my studio. At the moment,…
Is It a Good Expression?
That question—the title of this post—was asked in an instructional video presented by a successful photographer. He was going through a list he uses to evaluate images: the making of them, along with the finished product. It’s an interesting query…