Author Archives: John Swinburn

Words can be like balloons.  They might float through the air, taking one’s mood higher with them, or they may stumble along the pavement, bouncing into brambles alongside the road. Swallow: graceful, swift-flying bird or draw into the throat and esophagus. Tender: delicate and soft … Continue reading →

Challenges build character.  Challenges shape personalities.  Challenges prepare us to fight against the forces that would have us give up and admit defeat. I am facing a first-world challenge at the moment; a dead HVAC system in the house we … Continue reading →

Creating matter from light is just around the corner. Well, maybe.  I found this program fascinating.

I do not want to get a root canal today.  But I will, nonetheless. “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need.”

She is wearing rags and feathers From Salvation Army counters And the sun pours down like honey On our lady of the harbour And she shows you where to look Among the garbage and the flowers There are heroes in … Continue reading →

Even if behind altruism there is a motive of recognition and self-respect, altruism is a good thing.  The reward is intangible, but warranted.

Look closely at the least impressive flowers and you will see magic on a stem. What does it take to remind ourselves of the exceptional beauty all around us? I think it takes just this: pay attention and think about what … Continue reading →

As I sit in my study with the windows open, listening to the cardinals and mockingbirds and wrens and who knows what else, the thought running through my mind is this: if everyone else in the world were as fortunate … Continue reading →

I find polygamy distasteful. But should I, and should society at large, have the right to forbid its practice among consenting adults? There are so many other laws, social and legal, that impose the social preferences of one group of … Continue reading →

Only when you notice it’s missing does it matter. If it’s gone and you didn’t notice, it never made enough of a difference to matter.  Think of people you didn’t notice until they were gone.  They didn’t matter to you. … Continue reading →

Serenity is temporary. Chaos is temporary. Everything is temporary. There must be a lesson in that realization; it was here a moment ago, but it’s gone.

When dreams fade and one believes the future holds no promise, the process of decay begins. But dreams, alone, cannot stifle the process.  One must strive to make those dreams into reality, lest dreams become meaningless fantasies. Taking action, however plodding, toward … Continue reading →

Living with pain is not the solution. I have had a toothache for days.  Today, I hope to be able to convince a dentist to see me ASAP.

Some days, I find myself plotting the overthrow of humankind.  Other days, I consider all the good people and just know they outnumber the sub-human primal ooze that populate the places in which I interact with people who ostensibly provide … Continue reading →

Small pleasantries can go a long way toward mending broken relationships. All it takes is time and intent.  And a willingness to acknowledge one’s faults.  And a willingness to believe time heals all wounds.

I can’t quite comprehend the physics of glass.  It is hard and brittle and dense, but it is essentially invisible.  How can that be? I know people who are like glass.  Do not be one of them.

The moment you know something to be true, the instant you are certain of anything, become skeptical of your ability to distinguish fact from fiction.  There is a lie hidden somewhere in almost every truth. Certainty closes minds and repels real knowledge.

Temptation is not a passing thing.  It lasts a lifetime. It arises with you every morning and sleeps with you every night.  It’s there, right beside you, when you think you’re alone on a desolate highway.  And it sits on … Continue reading →

Speak softly to a blade of grass and then listen.  The messages you hear will be close to the truth, if only you’ll allow yourself time to consider.  There is honor in listening when there is no point, and no … Continue reading →