"Don't force your children into your ways, for they were created for a time different from your own." Plato Words as true now as they were over two millennia ago. Such a simple precept, yet so difficult to remember that our children did not get the same experience as we had in our youth, nor... Continue Reading →
What we call pleasure…
"What we call pleasure, and rightly so, is the absence of all pain." Cicero Correction: Numbness is the absence of all pain, which some may find pleasurable in brief intervals. Though it isn't sustainable, nor productive. It might be challenging for many to achieve a complete lack of physical or mental suffering, but we needn't... Continue Reading →
My life has been full…
"My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened." Michel de Montaigne There are a few famous versions of this expression throughout the history of humankind. About 2000 years ago, Seneca's version from his thirteenth letter "On Groundless Fears" stated that "we suffer more often in imagination than in reality". More... Continue Reading →
A scientist in his laboratory…
"A scientist in his laboratory is not a mere technician; he is also a child confronting natural phenomena that impress him as though they were fairy tales." Marie Curie Wonderment and exploration are the gifts of childhood that we should be so fortunate to retain throughout adulthood. Don't be so eager to shed them as... Continue Reading →
The Splendid Warrior – ACT 2
Malee pranced across the yard toward her family’s house carrying her precious sloshing package. She bounded up the steps directly into the main living area and immediately searched for an open container at least big enough to display her gilled guest for everyone to enjoy. Before long she found a large cup and began dumping... Continue Reading →
The Splendid Warrior – ACT 1
The coolest part of the day had already waned, giving way to the sun that had scarcely breached the horizon into the hazy morning sky. “All right Malee, you may play with the ducks later, we have work to do in the fields. Come along now” called out a slender, stooped man in loose clothing,... Continue Reading →
A Billion Little Things
With the jackpot for the multi-state lottery exceeding one billion dollars last week, the thought of winning that sum of money tickles the fantasies of many. The odds of winning is only about 1 in 300 million, which seems about as likely as being struck by lightning while being attacked by a shark or getting... Continue Reading →
Harbinger Vignette 5
FADE IN: INT/EXT. HOME OF JUNE & JOSEPH - VARIOUS Images of Hazel from infant through the start of adolescence, each scene playful and sweet. BEGIN MONTAGE: -Series with Hazel and Ian hugging, tugging, tumbling, and laughing together. -Series with Hazel posing with her stuffed animals, dolls, and her pet cat. -Series with Hazel and... Continue Reading →
“Live Free or Die”
At the peak of the pandemic in my state, it was common practice and courtesy to wear masks indoors. This was mid-2020 when protective gloves were also being used with regularity. Masks weren't yet mandated and vaccines weren’t broadly available at the time. But it was understood that weakened immune systems and the elderly were... Continue Reading →
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