The Witty One
By Jack Canfora John Lennon was 40 when he was killed; that murder took place 40 years ago today. I spent most of my teenage years trying to be John Lennon; eventually I realized that position was permanently filled. The whole band (you know who I’m talking about, right?) grabbed my imagination and still hasn’t loosened its grip. But for a teenage boy of a … Continue reading The Witty One
The Vulnerability of Democracy
By Billy Osogo I became politically-aware when I was around 11 years old. We had a disputed election in 2007 that resulted in the most destructive wave of electoral violence in all of Kenya’s history. Continue reading The Vulnerability of Democracy
Everyday Baggage
Hi all, How was your week? I hope you all had a great week. I want to discuss the extras in our lives today. Our baggage in a sense. We hear discussion of minimalism and how to apply it every now and then. The less we own, the better we feel (as long as our basic needs are covered). This has some advantages: (i) there … Continue reading Everyday Baggage
SnapDragon Speaks: On The Dark.
I’m afraid of the dark. Like, for real. And it’s not because I think there are trolls in the basement, or Civil War ghosts in the attic. (But—ahem—now that I’ve revived that thought, I might crawl into bed even earlier tonight.) (pulls the blanket up to her chin) I’m afraid of my own mind. Because as soon as the sun sets, I feel an impending … Continue reading SnapDragon Speaks: On The Dark.
The Things That I Will Miss
“The great gift of such periods is that they invite us to question our certitudes, our givens, these seemingly sure foundations that have lulled us into complacency — for it is only by being jolted out of our complacencies, cultural or personal, that we ever reach beyond the horizon, toward new territories of truth, beauty, and flourishing.” – MARIA POPOVA So much of what I’ve heard … Continue reading The Things That I Will Miss
Dieting Is about More than Getting Skinnier
By Troy Headrick Over the Thanksgiving break, I made an important decision. I decided, during one of those holiday periods when people gorge themselves, shoveling the food in with both hands, that I needed to lose some weight. Six days ago, at the start of my diet, I stepped on the scale and the device groaned. I was not surprised when the digital readout of … Continue reading Dieting Is about More than Getting Skinnier
Knowing Laughter
Provided by Billy Osogo | Dr Brené Brown, in her insightful book, I Thought It Was Just Me, writes about “knowing laughter.” She defines it as “laughter that results from recognizing the universality of our shared experiences, both positive and negative.” Continue reading Knowing Laughter
A Very Hallmark Christmas Great Gatsby
By Jack Canfora Everything changes at the holidays, even seminal works of literature. (Gatsby in his mansion, alone, disconsolate.) Gatsby: Daisy chose Tom over me. It can’t be. It can’t. (The phone rings. Picks it up.) Daisy?Gatsby’s Wise Yet Hitherto Unmentioned Uncle: Well, it’s been a long time since anyone’s called me Daisy. No, it’s your wise but hitherto unmentioned uncle.Gatsby: People used to call … Continue reading A Very Hallmark Christmas Great Gatsby
Meaning and Hope
Hi everyone, I am wondering if you have thought about what keeps us going in life. We all have our ups and downs. What motivates us to go up when we are down instead of just staying in the down? I noticed two things that help me with this: meaning and hope. And I often discover that those are already within me and I might … Continue reading Meaning and Hope
The Secret Ingredient Missing From Every Conversation
That’s the most liberating, wonderful thing in the world, when you openly admit you’re an ass. It’s wonderful. When people tell me, “You’re wrong.” I say, “What can you expect of an ass?” S.J. ANTHONY DE MELLO – SOURCE: AWARENESS The vast majority of conversations consist of two people trying to have their egos validated by proving that one is right and the other is wrong. … Continue reading The Secret Ingredient Missing From Every Conversation
To Do: Gratitude and Food
By Ellen Jayne {generations} maybe because,
the same blood that runs through my veins,
ran for centuries before me,
and will continue to live on after me,
each generation passing down their stories Continue reading To Do: Gratitude and Food
I Want to Hygge Like It’s 1999
By Troy Headrick I’ve traveled a lot but have never been to Denmark. I see this as a shortcoming, especially since I’ve long been intrigued with that Nordic country. I’ve embedded a Deutsche Welle video on “hygge,” a fascinating Danish concept, one that shapes Danish culture and worldview. If you want to know more about the Danes and what makes them tick, watch the clip. … Continue reading I Want to Hygge Like It’s 1999
2020: THE INTERVIEW
By Jack Canfora Continue reading 2020: THE INTERVIEW
Internal Peace
Hi all, How have you been? It has been a long time since we last interacted here! I missed you all! I took a long-ish break from writing but not from thinking. So, we will meet here regularly now to discuss what I have been thinking about. I want to discuss what it means to have internal peace today. I reflected on it and realized … Continue reading Internal Peace
I Seldom Pay Much Mind To My Mind
…it’s hard at times (today being one such instance) not view my life as little more than the sum total of my mistakes. Continue reading I Seldom Pay Much Mind To My Mind
What can you get out of all that fear?
Most of the world, it seems, has experienced a great deal of fear during this past year. I’m not thinking primarily of the recent U.S. election or the current U.S. presidential transition. There had already been enough fear to write this post after a month or two of pandemic-occasioned “lock down.” Timelines differ around the world; in the U.S. this would have been early spring … Continue reading What can you get out of all that fear?
Does Anyone Know Where I Left My Car Keys?
By Troy Headrick I’ve been forgetful lately. I’m talking like, I’ll be in one part of my house, decide that I need something from another room, head to that locale, and as soon as I arrive there, I can no longer recall what I wanted to get. I know this is a near universal human experience because I’ve had numerous friends, once I’ve told them … Continue reading Does Anyone Know Where I Left My Car Keys?
How To Cope With the Monotony of Life
*BEEP* your alarm clocks goes off for the umpteenth time of quarantine. The past and present fade together as the days play an infinite loop. In January I posted an article here called How To Love the Repetition of Life. Little did I know that quarantine and a global lockdown that would last for months was around the corner. Looking back on my article, I … Continue reading How To Cope With the Monotony of Life
The Shameless Nature Of Pride
As the dust settles on the US election my feeling is not jubilation. I’m not happy that 70 million people still find Trump an acceptable leader. I’m not happy that a man whose flagrant disregard for the safety of his fellow Americans has cost hundreds of thousands their lives. I’m not happy that in death, the Trump campaign still has the audacity to attack the … Continue reading The Shameless Nature Of Pride
Reading Vaclav Havel
By Troy Headrick I’m currently reading Vaclav Havel’s essay “The Power of the Powerless,” a wonderful treatise on human nature, unfreedom, power, culture, and mass psychology. Though he writes about what he calls “post-totalitarianism,” a dictatorial system that held sway across Eastern Europe during the Soviet era, I am persuaded that some of Havel’s thinking seems applicable to America and other “free” countries. While reading … Continue reading Reading Vaclav Havel