Author Archives: John Swinburn

Some questions go unasked out of fear of repercussions; fear that the subtle clues that led to them were misread. Conversations that might have led to extraordinary joy, therefore, go unspoken. Yet, if the clues were indeed misread, then the justifiable fears … Continue reading →

My voice, spoken through my fingers tapping on the keyboard, expresses thoughts too intimate for my tongue and my teeth to fashion into words. My virtually unknown blog allows me the freedom to express myself in ways I am unlikely to ever … Continue reading →

I watched the day creep along, hobbling along like an old man with a bent and unusable walking stick, insisting it was enough to support him. He insisted he was strong enough to hobble up the hill. I shouldn’t have … Continue reading →

The age of the universe is, according to theorists well-versed in such things, 13.79 billion years, give or take 21 million years. That, they theorize, is the amount of time that’s lapsed since the Big Bang. Prior to the Big … Continue reading →

I am so distant from knowledge I want desperately to have; but I’m too afraid of the efforts required to get it. A case in point was, coincidentally, shown on last night’s TV. I’d love to know the intimate details … Continue reading →

Admit your failings, even if solely to yourself. Only by acknowledging your flaws can you hope to begin the long and arduous task of correcting them.

There may come a time for an armed insurrection. Not there; here.

Don’t disclose, not even to yourself, what you don’t want others to know. You might ask, “What could that be?” I don’t have the answer. I know only that what you know is not knowledge in a vacuum; hear it … Continue reading →

We can experiment with new personalities like we try on new clothes. If one doesn’t fit, we can shed it and try on another one. But, what if it weren’t so easy? What if we had to make a long-term commitment when … Continue reading →

Worry is a symptom of an emotion, not an emotion of its own standing. Worry arises from fear and frustration, billowing like smoke from a box of damp newsprint, too wet to burn yet too hot to erupt in flames. If a problem is … Continue reading →

I’ve never been more concerned about the future of the United States of America than I am now. I fear the growing popularity of Donald Trump, with his bombastic racist and nationalist diatribes and his naked Islamophobia, offers evidence that I live … Continue reading →

A walk among naked trees on a cool, bright Autumn day is energizing. Listening to birds and watching them flit from tree to tree took my mind off obstacles. Shielding my eyes from the sun as I ambled along a … Continue reading →

Twenty-five days until this year fizzles into history. I wish I could express joy at this fraction of a lifetime that’s ending, but when I recall the year, my eyes get cloudy and dark. I remember awful, ugly things that never … Continue reading →

Routine can be comforting, but it can wreck creativity and vitality. In everything from the foods we eat to the activities in which we engage, variety is important. The key is finding that delicate balance between comfort and challenge.

In the end, nothing matters. But until then, everything matters.