Category Archives: Ruminations

Patterns

Posted on March 10, 2020 by John Swinburn

It’s a pattern. I daydream about hitting the road for an extended period to explore new places, revisit places from my long ago past, or simply to separate myself from the day-to-day routine by which I sometimes feel confined. It’s … Continue reading →

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The Question is a Serpent

Posted on February 5, 2020 by John Swinburn

Dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life I ask myself the question over and over and over and over, hoping to one day find an answer: “Who am I, under the veneer?” It hasn’t even been a … Continue reading →

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Mediterranean Course Correction

Posted on January 12, 2020 by John Swinburn

I inquired of Google this morning: “What is the Mediterranean lifestyle?” The first answer I found—and the one I intend on adapting as my own—was this, from a blog entitled, The Mediterranean Dish in a post labeled Live the Mediterranean … Continue reading →

Posted in Change, Compassion, Doing Without, Empathy, Essay, Generosity, Philosophy, Ruminations, Self-discipline, Selfishness | Leave a comment

Returning to the Empty Well

Posted on April 5, 2019 by John Swinburn

This morning, as I am sometimes wont to do, I wandered aimlessly through some of my old blog posts, looking for evidence of creativity and talent. “Looking” is the wrong word. “Hoping” better describes my motive. What I found did … Continue reading →

Posted in Frustration, Procrastination, Ruminations, Self-discipline, Writing | Leave a comment

Superficial Thematic Explorations of a Saturday Morning in September

Posted on September 29, 2018 by John Swinburn

I’ve noticed recurring themes involving anger, darkness, and pessimism in both my poetry and my prose. How could I not notice them? They are so obvious as to slap me in the face, hard, when I read them. But when … Continue reading →

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In Disgusted Defense of Ann Coulter’s Right to Speak

Posted on April 28, 2017 by John Swinburn

As I read news of the cancellation, reinstatement, and subsequent cancellation of Anne Coulter’s speech at the University of California at Berkeley, I question the intelligence of the people who violently oppose the her speech. Do those people not understand … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Intellect, Philosophy, Politics, Rant, Ruminations | Leave a comment

Psycholinguistic Musings

Posted on April 27, 2017 by John Swinburn

Sinew. That word can evoke, for me, images of sturdy steel bands, thick in the middle but narrowing almost to points on the ends; ribbons of metallic lies constrained at either end by truth. It’s as if truth confines the streamer of … Continue reading →

Posted in Language, Philosophy, Ruminations, Writing | 1 Comment

Physical and Mental

Posted on September 16, 2016 by John Swinburn

Today, I’m using this blog as a journal. On my agenda this morning is a visit to my doctor for my annual physical, then a visit to Little Rock this afternoon with a friend. The first activity is routine. The physical … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Just Thinking, Nature, Noise, Ruminations, Sound | Leave a comment

Mining My Brain for Thoughts and Secrets

Posted on August 6, 2016 by John Swinburn

I’ve been awake for more than an hour and up for half an hour. And it’s only 4:30 a.m. This is not what I planned for Saturday. I planned, instead, to get up around 5:30, have a couple of cups … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Insomnia, Ruminations | 3 Comments

Three Hundred Sixty-Five

Posted on December 31, 2015 by John Swinburn

In our rush to the next event, the next activity, the next interaction, we sometimes fail to appreciate those precious moments, the moments time snatches away from us as it marches inexorably along. We fail to recognize that, perhaps, a repeat of … Continue reading →

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Three Hundred Sixty-Four

Posted on December 30, 2015 by John Swinburn

Some days, like today, I am more grateful for coffee than I ever expected to be. A cup of hot French roast coffee in my mug is my drug of choice; secret lovers, my coffee and I. Buried deep in … Continue reading →

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Three Hundred Sixty-Three

Posted on December 29, 2015 by John Swinburn

We assume things will always be as they always have been. When the rain starts, we assume the skies ultimately will clear; that’s the way it’s always been. When a war begins, we assume it will eventually end; that’s the way … Continue reading →

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Three Hundred Sixty-Two

Posted on December 28, 2015 by John Swinburn

As I glance at the “dashboard” of my blog, I notice there’s a snapshot of just a few of the categories I’ve assigned to posts I’ve written. The visible topics are: racism, rant, regret, religion, resolutions, ruminations, and science. I click … Continue reading →

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Three Hundred Sixty-One

Posted on December 27, 2015 by John Swinburn

Today is Sunday, the very last one anyone will experience during 2015. That, in and of itself, merits special attention. But so, too, does every day, if one considers the matter in context.  For example, every Monday is the very … Continue reading →

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Three Hundred Sixty

Posted on December 26, 2015 by John Swinburn

Humans want to connect with other humans, to share their thoughts and wishes and dreams. And we want to be with other people, physically; we want to dine with friends and family, attend events with them, and simply be in their … Continue reading →

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