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Author Archives: John Swinburn
Ashes
Early one recent morning as I was wandering the internet, looking for something that mattered, I stumbled across a poem written twenty or thirty years ago by someone mourning the death of a reclusive writer. The poem’s theme struck a chord at … Continue reading
Posted in Just Thinking, Philosophy, Poetry
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December 18: Thoughts for the Day
I remember how I felt as a young man when I realized a young woman in whom I had a romantic interest had no interest in me. It felt like a kick to the gut; it hurt somewhere deep inside … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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A Walking Trail
Yesterday, a long walk along the Cedar Creek Walking Trail turned a beautiful, clear, crisp day into an unforgettable joy. Walking along the trail, it’s easy to imagine oneself in a primitive forest, miles from civilization. The only noises are … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Nature
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December 17: Thoughts for the Day
A tender embrace, a touch, can sometimes say far more than words.
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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Missing in Action
So many things can get lost in the hum of daily life. I realized this morning I have lost touch with another blogger I never actually knew; never communicated with him directly, to my recollection. Instead, I read his posts … Continue reading
Posted in Just Thinking, Writing
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December 16: Thoughts for the Day
The dangers are not in igniting the flames of emotion that fly in the face of conventional acceptability. The dangers lie in failing to fan the flames, allowing them to suffocate as they choke for oxygen, never giving birth to the beauty of what might have … Continue reading
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This Day Was Good, Too
Once again, my sister-in-law came to my rescue today. She offered to be stand-in for my wife at the local writers’ club holiday lunch. My wife had a minor dental emergency and the only opening with the dentist was 11:30 … Continue reading
Posted in Just Thinking, Walking
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Look for Youth
You can tell by watching and listening to a person whether there’s youth “in there.” Age has nothing whatsoever to do with it. It’s entirely about attitude. Look for silliness. Look for whimsy. Look for a child who doesn’t care … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophy
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December 15: Thoughts for the Day
Some people grow. Others mature. Many age. More than a few ripen. Too many decay. It’s not just age that does it; it’s acceptance and an attitude of inevitability. While burning the candle at both ends may hasten the end, mightn’t it also make the … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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Dreaming without the Sleep Part
I just spent the better part of two hours in my little “shop,” listening to music and musing about life. Getting lost in music and musing is easy to do. It tends to take me into introspective moods, which can be … Continue reading
Posted in Serenity, Wisdom
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Dental Synchronicity
My wife and I must have some degree of synchronicity with respect to our dental health. The last time I had a dental emergency (rare doesn’t adequately describe it; it was the first and only time), just a few months … Continue reading
Posted in Health
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If Fishes Were Horses, Mermaids Would Fly
Two drunk and disorderly mermaids swished into a dockside bar one morning, just after the shrimp boats left the port in search of full nets and calm waters. The taller of the two, Shirona, called to the bartender, “Hey, barkeep, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction
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Night Sky
The idea was that I’d get up far earlier than usual so I could see the Geminid meteor shower. I got out of bed around 3:00 a.m. and went outside on the deck. I looked skyward. I watched. I waited. No … Continue reading
Posted in Nature
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December 14: Thoughts for the Day
Understanding is a far better teacher than experience.
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Days Like This
Today has been a gratifying one, another in a series of days that have different reasons for being good ones, yet all getting to the same place; being good. The day started for me at about 4:00 a.m., when I … Continue reading
Posted in Just Thinking
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December 13: Thoughts for the Day
Believe it or not, I’ve never belonged to an outlaw motorcycle gang. Consequently, I have no way of knowing whether the brotherly love between the members, as depicted on Sons of Anarchy, is the real deal. I suppose the only … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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Thinking on It
I cannot not read minds, though I sometimes wish I could. And there are times I wish I were an open book, as easy to read as an engrossing novel; it would be easier than to risk saying, openly, what’s on my mind. … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
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December 12: Thoughts for the Day
I’ve read that imagining a future in which dreams are realized is an exercise in futility; that living in the moment is all that matters. The pragmatist in me might grudgingly be willing to entertain that dreary perspective, but the dreamer who resides … Continue reading
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Pottery Ponderings
The pottery studio was in much better shape when I left it yesterday than it was when I arrived. About a dozen of us spent several hours scouring it from top to bottom, scraping layers of dried clay from every … Continue reading
Posted in Just Thinking
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Windows
As I sat at the dining table one morning earlier this week, glancing through the large half-circle window above the double-door front entry, I noticed something odd. The arch extending out over the entry-way into the house created the illusion of a window like that found … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture
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December 11: Thoughts for the Day
I came home one day, not too long ago, and found sentence fragments all over the keyboard. I spent hours putting them back together. It’s a good thing I know how to type.
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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Finding Its Footing
Last night, I read a post I’d written not so long ago, on September 19, 2013. The post was a recitation of items I’d written down on 3×5 notepads some time earlier; I wrote the post as a reminder to myself to … Continue reading
Posted in Memories
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December 10: Thoughts for the Day
In the past, but not so much lately, I have seen replicas of eggs—chicken eggs—made of agate or other stone. Typically, I’ve seen them in gift shops or in individual homes; they are on display. Just there to look at. … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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Life’s a Beach
One day before long, when the weather is a bit warmer and there’s no forecast of rain, I think I’ll head out very early one morning, just before sunrise, to the beach on Lake Balboa (the largest of the lakes … Continue reading
Posted in Nature
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December 9: Thoughts for the Day
We have a lot of choices to make, if only we take the opportunities. For example, I might choose to learn a new word each day or try a new recipe every month or meet a new person each week. I could … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts For the Day
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