Writer and Friendly Neighbourhood Philosopher
Just Thinking…
The Age of MacGyver
Whether one is looking for comfort in an 80’s kid trope, or seeking an era-appropriate philosophical archetype, I think it might be useful to do a rewatch of MacGyver (though I’m scared it might be far cheesier than I choose to remember). We seem to be smack-dab in the middle of an age of cartoonish action series bad guys, of hidden dangers and desperate situations.
The Times, They Are A-Changin’. Still, And Not Fast Enough.
Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A Changin” may be emblematic of a certain time and space, but decades later, it still packs a punch. It’s this amazing dialogue between youthful progress and stubborn adherence to the status quo. Respect to Mr. Dylan for capturing something so universal in a mere three minutes and fifteen seconds.
It Was The Fest Of Times…
We are itching to get out there and be silly, to not act our age. We’re dying to play and pretend. And if you’ve ever been to one of these events, you’ll know that it entirely common for responsible, mature adults to get unapologetically ridiculous at them.
The Unsniffed Life Is Not Worth Living: An Ode To My Dogs
There aren’t enough words to describe the impact having this live-in system of checks and balances can have on one’s life, especially when one is living through “times like these”.
All That Glisters: An Alternative To The Bright Side
I don’t believe that there is a tidbit of joy buried in every pile of nastiness, but I know there is most definitely information, and there is learning. These bits of information and learning are not handed to us, they are sought out. We find them, we create them, and if we are so bold, we share them. There is an unlimited supply of teachable moments. In any tragedy, in any injustice, there is still useful information.
I’m Still Doing This: Celebrating An Anniversary As A Writer
Today, I will be eating homemade cupcakes (plural) with too much frosting, and reminiscing. In the style of most philosophers who are also writers, I’ll also be asking myself what it all means and why I’m doing it.
The Very Important Sum Of Our Parts
There’s an African proverb that rings true: “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.” Maybe there is an addendum we can make to this, something like “A child who is not seen as whole will take themselves (and others) apart.”
Not On My Time: A Closer Look At Being Busy
When (and if) there is intentionality behind these things, it’s usually someone else’s. Someone else benefits from you toiling away without raising your hand to ask for justification. Someone else is telling you how to scratch the itch of wanting to feel accomplished. “Someone Else” can be so enormous and impersonal that they don’t even know you exist. One can, and many people do, fill an entire lifetime being someone else’s version of busy.
In Praise Of New Years (All Of Them)
These celebrations are resets. Each has its own manner of clearing out what doesn’t serve, and welcoming in what might be helpful. They are festivals of “Whoa! So, that all happened. Now what?”
How Do We Like Them Apples? Please Ask A Philosopher.
While there may be a vitamin or two hiding in it, maybe a scrap of fibre here and there, it’s designed to address cravings, to serve as quick relief and instant gratification. We like this junk, with its glossy packaging and superb convenience. And we don’t like apples…right?
Stretching Out The Magic
Happy whatever, whenever, gentle readers. Please don’t sweat it.
The Last Ones Past The “Post”
Imagine being in a position to decide what gets put away, when we’re just “done” with something, when something is “over”. Imagine watching multitudes around you struggling to get over an obstacle, to hold tight to what helps, and announcing with a four-letter snippet that their concerns, their goals, and their reality are past tense. “Post” has power, though not any kind of power I’d like to wield.
In Praise of Brain Rot
“You know, random, meaningless stuff that just gets tossed around on social media. Did you guys even have that kind of thing before the internet?”
Maybe The Eyes Have It?
You don’t fight your way through The Louvre just to shrug and concede that Mona Lisa was politely posing for someone. You pause and ponder what’s behind her expression. You wonder what she was trying to convey, what da Vinci was trying to convey in capturing her bemused smirk in his work. There’s a message in her gaze, and I think if we take a beat and think about it, we’ll find that there’s important information in the “Gen Z Stare” too.
Let’s Play “Find the Philosopher”
There are no losers in this game. You may hit pause now and again, but your points can only go up. In Find the Philosopher, there are only learners who are rewarded with understanding, wonder, and connection. One just has to choose to start playing.
Even When You’re Not Happy…You Can Still Be All This Other Stuff.
Here's a thought: What if we saw happiness as a “nice to have” or a long-term goal, instead of a necessary milestone? What if we appreciated it when it happened, but didn’t beat ourselves up when it didn’t? What if we enjoyed it, but didn’t expect it, at least not all the time, and not in circumstances that seem to negate it? What else is there?
This Old Kid’s Guide To Halloween
I might just be hanging on to Halloween for nostalgic reasons, refusing to grow up, or replaying all the fun and excitement from when I was little, but I’m also partaking of something that hits differently for me.
No Foolin’. Critical Thinking Can Still Be Funny.
Comedy is a risky venture that takes insight into the world around us, the sensitivity necessary to take the temperature of an audience in short order, and the ability to wrap even the most troubling ideas in clever banter. In pursuit of snort laughs and applause, comedians say the difficult, complicated things the rest of us less-funny thinkers wish we could sneak into conversation.
Five Enormous Questions That Scare The Crap Out Of Me
For me, these are the hardest of the hard ones. It’s because they are so unspeakably hard that I keep them top of mind. The hard questions are the most important.
Not Everything Needs to Be A Musical: Defending Originality In The Arts
What does it do to a society to be fed the same stuff over and over, without a little something novel thrown into the mix? How far can we immerse ourselves in art if we only know it as a series of copies and repeats?