Writer and Friendly Neighbourhood Philosopher
Just Thinking…
Yes, Asking Big Questions Is Still Helpful.
We like to divide things into eithers and ors, don’t we? No great revelation there. Among these binaries is the notion that there are thinkers and doers, and perhaps not enough between. For obvious reasons, philosophers get plunked into the “thinker” category, and all kinds of assumptions are made about our willingness/ability to do anything other than think.
To Geek Is To Love
To be a geek or a nerd is to know how to love something. There are so many things to love as a geek, so many places to throw our curiosity and enthusiasm. Geeky love is vast and inclusive.
Hope (And Parts Of Speech)
Go big or small with your hope. Go pro or maintain your amateur status. Hope out loud or whisper it to yourself. Just hope. You probably already are.
If Our Stuff Could Talk…
If you work from home like I do, you spend a fair bit of time surrounded by your things, even more so if you’re a collector, an art enthusiast, or a maximalist (I am all three). I know my dogs watch me go about my daily routine with some interest, but what about the objects in my house, the things that surround me as I do the things I do?
You, Me, And The Vacuum
I have a question, and I’m asking in earnest, without cheek, snark, or hidden agenda: What do you like?
Grendel Storms The Mead Hall
Grendel has returned to the mead hall, good people, and it’s about to get messy. We weren’t exactly in a state of bliss as a kingdom to begin with, but it’s getting worse.
Why We Still Need Shakespeare
Here he is, the darling of Western literature, with 38 plays and 154 poems, all oozing with introspection on what it means to be a human being, with humour and empathy and ruthlessly honest critique.
I Am the Yeti…Again.
The book was great fun to write (I even made it rhyme), and it played into one of my very favourite questions in philosophy: What are we, and why do we do the things we do?
Too Young To Vote?
I’m posing this question, not because it’s an interesting “what if” or because I’m trying to stir the pot, but because I think it’s important:
How young is too young to vote?
Philosophy As (Useful) Pain
So, if being philosophical doesn’t promise any sort of delight, and it demands so much of my time and mental real estate, then what’s the point? Why not elect to be another happy wanderer, and just turn it off?
Notes On Being (Too) Thankful
My worry is that being full-on thankful sometimes dulls or obscures the other part, the part where we recognize that there’s a lot that we ought not be thankful for, all the things that need fixing and improving.
I Don’t Know. And I’m Not Sorry.
It’s all good as long as we feel one key thing—that not knowing isn’t a roadblock or a failing. It doesn’t make us less or deficient. Not knowing isn’t the end of anything, it’s just the beginning. It may, in fact, be just the sort of beginning we all need right now.
Hang In There, Kiddo: Embracing Neoteny
What bliss to be able to grow serious and responsible without being too serious and responsible. How wonderful to know that I have the infrastructure necessary to preserve my imagination and my silly sense of humour. It’s been good for me to hold off a little on the whole maturation business, maybe even a gift, and I’m grateful for it.
On Aesop, and the Comfort of Pebbles
Call it an Aesop moment, I guess. You think of how other creatures function (even metaphorically), and suddenly you feel like a big, clueless human who’s missed some important life lesson. So, I took to looking up other animals for whom pebbles mean something important. More animals, more pebbles, more wisdom.
Parenting Through All of…This
Parenting right now is hard, in so many ways and on so many levels. But as I tell my kid, and probably many others tell theirs, we can do hard things. In these unprecedented times, we can parent in unprecedented ways, and raise unprecedented kids who find unprecedented ways to live. They’re smart enough, and so are we.
All You Need Is…A Sixth Love Language
I trust you with my idea. I trust that you won’t turn up your nose at it without giving it due consideration. I hope that you trust me to do the same. I hope that we both put our trust in reason and dialogue, that we give our ideas a place to sit and expand.
The Dog’s Nose: A Metaphor for Better Thinking
If we allowed ourselves to think the way a dog uses their nose, with complexity, depth and discernment, think of the ripple effect it might have. What if we chose to see our world in detail, to marvel at it at a granular level, to take the time to sort, analyze and digest it, small bite by small bite. What if we allowed ourselves to notice all the things that we ordinarily choose to miss, the diverse, the interesting, the useful, and the beautiful?
Man, I Feel Like A Gen X.
I’m comfortable living out this stereotype, and I feel like, with everything that’s going on right now, it may be time to put it to good use. If you need me, I’ll be over here, a willing mind and extra set of hands, drinking from the hose and waiting.
Art Is Dark Stuff…Just Like We Need It to Be
And no, it’s not going to match the couch or fit on the wall. All the best things don’t.
It’s Now Your Job to Be Weird. So get to work.
So, this is, as Mr. Thompson says, when we weirdos “turn pro.” If you’re a weirdo who’s been maintaining your amateur status, it’s time to level up. If weird has been a hobby for you up until now, it’s time you got certified. If you’ve had a little weird on the back burner, but haven’t felt the gumption or guts to bring it out, cough it up.