Not really. But sometimes I forget. Sometimes, when I read his work; or when I hear the hypnotic rhythms of his voice, the way he enunciates every word without seeming to make an effort, the way he lingers on his final consonants; or when I let myself think about all the work he’s done in […]
I’ve spent a lot of time lately feeling sorry for myself. Because at the rate I’m going, given the amount of time and energy I have to spend here and on my other creative projects–I’m unlikely ever to make the kind of impact on the world I’ve always dreamed of. Of course, I’m even less […]
Jade Hameister has done more in sixteen years than most of us, whatever our age. She’s the youngest person ever to have completed what she calls the “Polar Hat Trick”–visiting both poles and crossing the Greenland ice sheet. But when she stood up and spoke at the TEDx Conference in Melbourne two years ago, some […]
I can’t control whether anybody reads this blog. I can’t control whether you tell anybody about this post after you read it. I can’t make anybody buy my book, and I can’t ensure anybody will like it even if they do. I can’t force a publisher to take on the book I’m working on right […]
I’m not a naturally thankful person. I know I’m supposed to be. I’ve heard gratitude is the path to success, or at least to contentment. Still, I’m much more likely to notice the things that are wrong in my life than the things that are right. I’m much more likely to focus on all I […]
It’s been a week. A week since I voted for Clinton and lost. A week to process what this election and the next four years might mean to my country, to discuss it with my family and friends, to reflect on what’s important. A week to watch the aftermath of the most divisive election I’ve […]
At its best, the Army takes good care of soldiers. And at its worst, it abuses them with impunity. This story broke for many of us this week, but the soldiers affected have been dealing with it for years now. Here’s the short version: From 2006 to 2008, desperate to keep good soldiers in, the […]
I’ve never known a political season like the one we’re in today. I’ve heard stories of political differences separating families, separating friends, but until this summer those stories always seemed like urban legends, like useful morality plays that might help illuminate some of the darker corners of our humanity. But as this summer gave way […]
Allowing Syrian refugees into our country will change the way many of us live. So will wrestling with gun violence, and police shootings, and rape culture, and immigration. We’ve done it a few times before: When we recognized the right of gay couples to marry. When we ended the Cold War. When we recognized a […]
My Scoutmaster is often good for a topic to share here. At our meeting last night, he talked to the Scouts about how to deal with a stressful situation using the acronym STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, and Plan. In the woods, he said, it’s easy to lose your way and panic; but instead of running […]