Writer and Friendly Neighbourhood Philosopher
Just Thinking…
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Why, More Than Ever, There Are No Stupid Questions.
You can ask. It’s okay.
You can say the quiet part loud.
There’s room for lots of different ideas.
It’s not wrong to wonder.
Curiosity is a good thing.
You’re not a jerk or a pain for asking. You just want to understand.
What I Learned From A Pufferfish
When I set out to write another kids’ book, I decided to use the noble, but somewhat reactive pufferfish as a jumping off point. I thought about all the ways we 21st century humans tend to react when we’re faced with a difficult question, a challenging idea, or any sort or disagreement or confrontation. Spoiler: it ain’t pretty.
The Curse of Not Enough
Lately, my “enough” has started to look really different. I’m still not there, but I’m working on reimagining it, bringing it closer, getting friendlier with it.
A Modern Chatelaine
Here I am, in a very changed world, pouring over pictures of these useful adornments, imagining the stories of the women who toted them.
The (Hopefully) Eternal Return Of Protest Music
I remember how cathartic it felt to put on headphones, to hit play and to have the angry blob in the pit of my stomach be so succinctly captured by someone’s lyrics. It was so empowering, so grounding to be able to sing my teenage angst, to be able to put it on a tape and pass it along for others to share. It still is.
Our Future Happiness
Sustainable happiness won’t be easy, and it won’t just show up. It will be work. Maybe it’s hard to put happiness and work in the same sentence, but that’s just because we’re used to them being at odds with one another. We can workshop that problem.
You Are Not Alone. Seriously.
If you’ve been itching to step out of line, but you’ve been putting it off, shrinking from it because you thought you’d be doing it solo, you don’t have to worry about that. If you look hard enough, as you’re sitting on the periphery, you’ll see others doing the same.
The Hardest (And Most Important) Change We Can Make
So, it's everyone’s job now. Certainty, persistence, inflexibility are not in the cards for us at the moment. Admittedly, change of any kind is hard, and changing one’s mind is at the top of the list.
Stepping Into the (Human)Light
I’ll hold as my mantra “There is a crack in everything. It’s how the light gets in.” (Leonard Cohen). I will, as the name of this holiday suggests, look for the sparks, the glimmers that we emit from time to time, in spite of ourselves.