Author Archives: John Swinburn

The weather tricked me into believing February had come and gone.  And I believed the calendar’s lies; I had my shorts ready for months of use. How can the calendar be so cruel?

Though not a legitimate “quote” from the Buddha, I find this aphorism especially meaningful: Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the single candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being … Continue reading →

At some point, every generation must acknowledge its decay.  In one sphere, today, Jimmy Fallon is forcing that acknowledgement.  It’s not intentional, nor is it with any rancor, yet it’s happening nonetheless.  I wonder how that acknowledged decay, or the … Continue reading →

Everything is temporary.  The pain of a loss is temporary.  The joy of an accomplishment is temporary. Even the life we live is temporary. The value ascribed to us by others, and even by ourselves, based on the title or … Continue reading →

I think there’s a visual artist locked somewhere inside of me.  Not necessarily a creative genius, but a competent technician; someone who, with the proper training in technique, could produce art that’s not half-bad. My occasional dabbles into art…pencil sketches, … Continue reading →

Here’s the thing. The character of a place can influence a person’s mood. A person’s mood or sense of comfort in his or her environment are defined by the place, then.  So, it makes sense to say changing  places is … Continue reading →

Dreams can drive us to do exceptional things, or they can drive us to curse the distance between our dreams and reality. I’ve had both dreams; the former is more fulfilling, the latter more upsetting.

One way of looking at pulled muscles, blisters, and aches and pains  is this: their absence makes even a ho-hum day seem rather pleasant.

There is such a small circle of people who are really important in one’s day-to-day life. Those are the people for whom one should be prepared to sacrifice almost anything. Beyond that small circle, there are incrementally larger numbers of … Continue reading →

Thirty spokes join together in the hub. It is because of what is not there that the cart is useful. Clay is formed into a vessel. It is because of its emptiness that the vessel is useful. Cut doors and … Continue reading →

There is no poison worse than hatred, nor no medicine better than love.

Today is Valentine’s Day.  I have participated, begrudgingly, in certain aspects of the corporate greed-driven celebration, but I do so very sparingly and only under mild duress. Valentine’s Day is a corporate greed-fest sponsored in large part by people who … Continue reading →

I often wonder if other people have thoughts like mine.  Do other people wonder whether extroverts’ emotions are less brittle than the emotions of introverts ? Do other people listen to music and think it may have been written specifically … Continue reading →

Words cannot describe everything. The heart’s message cannot be delivered in words. If you receive words literally you will be lost. If you try to explain with words you will not attain enlightenment in this life. ~Mu-Mon~

One of my brothers returned from a trip to Mexico several years ago with some gifts for me…including two masks, carved and painted to look pretty frightening.  Both of them have long, twisting tongues emerging from their mouths and both … Continue reading →

“Walk a mile in another man’s shoes.” The source of this aphorism is variously ascribed to the Bible, to American Indians, and others, but the intended meaning is clear: empathy arises from having put oneself in the place of another, … Continue reading →