Understanding ourselves and the world we live in.
By Troy Headrick Many of you know that I’m an American who spent nearly two decades living and working abroad. During the time I’m referring to, I resided in Poland, the UAE, Turkey, and Egypt. I taught writing, literature, philosophy, research methods, and critical thinking at universities and colleges in those locales. I got spoiled... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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.
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... Continue Reading →
Original Painting by SnapDragon X. Acrylic on Canvas. 2017. 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... Continue Reading →
“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,... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
By Jack Canfora As I awoke this morning from uneasy dreams I found myself transformed in my bed into a gigantic insect. No. Nope. Wait. Sorry, that wasn't me. It was Gregor Samsa. Not me. I'm constantly getting the two of us confused. It's led to some pretty wacky situations, as you can well imagine.... Continue Reading →
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.”
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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
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... Continue Reading →
By Jack Canfora
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... Continue Reading →
...it's hard at times (today being one such instance) not view my life as little more than the sum total of my mistakes.
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
*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... Continue Reading →
