If you think back to the Middle Ages and compare what we know now to what we thought we knew then, you’ll probably come to the conclusion that we weren’t terribly smart. That most of what we thought we knew about the world was patently wrong. It seems obvious to us now that the earth revolves around the sun (and not the other way around), … Continue reading Why Being Wrong Is Right
Today, my aim is to engage in a little self-care. I’m not sure how this is going to turn out, but I’m certain of my purpose. I want to get a few things off my chest. I want to look at myself in a kind of metaphorical “mirror” and write about what I see when I gaze into the looking glass. When I was younger, … Continue reading Finding My Way
I didn’t really have a topic in mind for this week’s blog. I was running out of time, and then, miracle of miracles, late on Saturday evening, I watched Austin City Limits, a weekly TV program, run out of Austin, that features hour-long musical performances. This week, they had a concert by Terry Allen and the Panhandle Mystery Band, a group I’d never heard of … Continue reading Terry Allen: Writer, Artist, Musician, and Generally Cool Guy
Hi, all. Not long ago, I was contacted by “Ay,” a blogger who asked if I’d mind being interviewed. After we’d corresponded a bit, she sent a list of interesting questions that I responded to. The full interview can be found here. After checking out my responses, you should look at Ay’s piece about pointless overthinking. Thanks for reading! Troy Headrick’s personal blog can be … Continue reading I Was Recently Interviewed
Leonardo da Vinci was the most creative genius in history. Of course, saying that I learned things from Leonardo is perhaps a bit risky, because in fact Leonardo is the very embodiment of genius. As we know, Leonardo lived in a particular era for humanity, the Renaissance, when literature, philosophy, science and the fine arts experienced an unprecedented splendour. Italy was in full economic momentum … Continue reading What I Have Learned from Leonardo da Vinci
Billy Osogo Hello September! It’s the ninth month of the year! Three more months and 2021 is a wrap! I know it’s been one heck of a year already! What with the mutating variants of COVID-19, what with the weather, what with the economy! We often set our goals for the year early in January. One of my goals was to read 60 books by … Continue reading HELLO SEPTEMBER!
Billy Osogo Pointless Overthinking’s byline is: Understanding ourselves and the world we live in. Such an apt encapsulation of my experience here so far. One of the things I enjoy the most from being part of the Pointless Overthinking tribe is the richness of wisdom that manifests itself in our comment sections. It’s mind blowing! Two weeks ago, I wrote an article titled Writing Springs. … Continue reading A FEW THOUGHTS ON WRITING FROM A FEW POINTLESS OVERTHINKERS
Billy Osogo Writing is a beautiful and intriguing undertaking. Like most things in life, it makes certain demands of its practitioners. These include monk-like dedication, soldier-like loyalty and child-like curiosity. Ideas are the fuel on which this art runs on. They are as diverse as the billions of writers on this planet. In my experience, ideas come in waves. Most times, the tide is high. … Continue reading The Nothingness of Writing
Billy Osogo Last week, I wrote on the plight of South Africa. South Africa is still in my scope of focus. For good reason. Just three days ago, the world marked Mandela Day. A day named in honor of the South African-born, larger-than-life, global peace icon, Nelson Madiba Mandela. He is many things to many people. Leaders like President Obama are on record saying how … Continue reading THE SATISFACTION OF SERVICE
For most non-Africans, South Africa is Africa and Africa is South Africa. Make no doubt about it, that’s as ignorant as it gets. Nonetheless, the ubiquity of this thought speaks to the prominece of Africa’s most industrialized nation. Home of Nelson Mandela. Yet, if the events of recent days are anything to go by, Mandela must be turning in his grave. The death toll from … Continue reading HEALING A TROUBLED PAST
Billy Osogo In my post last week I quoted Mario Vargas Llosa and made a clarion call to all writers. This week, I am maintaining Llosa as my source of inspiration and calling on all readers. In his amazing book Letters to a Young Novelist Llosa writes: “Read constantly, because it is impossible to acquire a rich, full sense of language without reading plenty of … Continue reading CALLING ALL READERS
I find writing to be an immensely rewarding investment of time. Whether it’s writing poems like my friend Ellen or plays like my friend Jack Canfora. Whether it’s journaling, writing short stories or full length novels. I came across an excerpt that struck a chord. It’s by Nobel Prize Winner Mario Vargas Llosa. In his beautiful book, Letters to a Young Novelist, he writes: “There … Continue reading CALLING ALL WRITERS: ASSEMBLE!
Billy Osogo Last Sunday was Father’s Day. A day when we stop to celebrate and appreciate the father figures in our lives. Whether biological, a guardian or someone who simply performs that function. You get the picture. I spent sometime reflecting about my Dad. Due to the nature of his profession, he wasn’t around much (physically) as I was growing up. We however spent countless … Continue reading FATHERLY LOVE
Billy Osogo : Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles delivered one of the most beautiful pieces of art when they wrote Ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese word that put simply translates to: “The happiness of always being busy.” The authors write on a broad spectrum of Japanese life. One of the things that’s stuck with me is what they wrote regarding art: “Art, in all its … Continue reading WHAT’S ART GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Billy Osogo Njia panda is the Swahili word for crossroad. Every now and then we find ourselves at a njia panda. Two opportunities arise. Too good to lose. Yet a choice must be made. Sleepless nights kick in. Pulling out of hair begins. Mental paralysis makes itself at home. The simple truth is that there’s nothing simple about being at a crossroad in life. A … Continue reading AT CROSSROADS
Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso was a man ahead of his milieu. He spoke bluntly and decisively. Even though a bullet cut his life short, his words, like his legacy, have outlived even his detractors. In an interview with a Swiss Journalist, Sankara said: “You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. In this case, it comes from nonconformity, the courage … Continue reading A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MADNESS
Billy Osogo I conscientiously followed the trial of the ex-officer responsible for George Floyd’s death. For 9 minutes and 29 seconds he pocketed as his knee snuffed the life out of a helpless, unarmed, handcuffed George Floyd. 331 days later his actions caught up with him. He was found guilty of all charges. Speaking after the verdict was passed, President Biden remarked: “I can’t breathe. … Continue reading WHAT WOULD CORETTA THINK?
By Billy Osogo “Educate, Empathize and Empower all!” That was the comment by my friend SnapDragon X on my previous piece. A brilliant choice of words, if I do so say myself! As I mentioned heretofore, the subject of racism is one that we must continue to have genuine conversations on. Educating yourself, allows you empathize which puts you in a prime position to empower. … Continue reading OH SNAP!
Greetings, Dear Reader! The SnapDragon Family is currently on the road, seeing some sights during this all-too-depressing season of lockdown during winter in Pennsylvania. (starts shivering, and hides head beneath a blanket) We’re cozied up in our Berkshire Class-A RV, embracing the open road and relishing the chance to travel to the American southeast. Sure it’s just us three—we’re still in a pandemic, mind you—but … Continue reading SnapDragon Speaks: On All I Need.
Hi. SnapDragon here. It’s been awhile. And who knows why, really. I mean, I do have a toddler. I tend to the house and home. I technically work full-time, although it’s more like a part-time, online gig at the moment. (No complaints. But it still takes up minutes of my day.) And by the time I have an hour to myself–with a cat or two … Continue reading SnapDragon Speaks: On Thought-Jelly.
