Author Archives: John Swinburn

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. ~ Plato ~ +++ “La lutta continua. The struggle continues.” So spoke Salman Rushdie Thursday … Continue reading →

I may begin setting an alarm. I lost almost two precious hours of pre-dawn brooding reflection to shallow—but dream-laden—sleep. Again. This has happened too often of late. I may have to eschew medicinal gummies; while I cannot attribute all of … Continue reading →

When the nighttime conspires with insomnia to erase comfort, the only refuge is an occasional, fitful moment of stolen sleep. During those brief periods of unconsciousness, dreams tend to interrupt relief, relentlessly pounding tranquility until it finally surrenders. Then, in … Continue reading →

Last night’s game of trivia (an event held to generate funds for the Friends of the Coronado Center Library) clarified, for me, the way my mind works. Or doesn’t. While I had no idea about the answers to some of … Continue reading →

As I skimmed the Associated Press website this morning, I encountered a page with a section devoted to “shootings.”  For just a moment, I was stunned that an entire section of a website would be dedicated to a summary of … Continue reading →

Experiencing different cultures expands the mind and opens the heart. Whether the cultures are as starkly different as rural South Texas and urban Beijing or as similar as Dallas and Little Rock, the cultural distinctions educate, inform, and change a … Continue reading →

I have written many times, over the years, about Ray Oldenburg’s concept of the Third Place., informal public gathering areas that offer comfort, camaraderie, and emotional safety. The Brookings Institute says this about third Places: Urban planners seeking to stabilize neighborhoods … Continue reading →

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already in widespread use. In multiple automotive applications. In HVAC system thermostats. Virtual assistants, like the Amazon Echo. Global positioning system technologies. Computerized language translation systems. Email spam filters. Automated house floor maintenance devices. Facial recognition … Continue reading →

Supposedly open-minded progressives who deride conservatives about their “conservative hypocrisy” sometimes seem blind to their own bigotry. For example, it is not hard to find staunch liberals—blue through and through—who label Texas and Texans right-wing hypocrites. Or they may call … Continue reading →

Exceptionally heavy rain pounds the roof, its sound dominating the roar of thunder. Occasional flashes of dim, distant lightning periodically illuminate the room. Twice, the background noise of wind and rain and water flowing through gutters and downspouts, though loud, … Continue reading →

I did not feel compelled to write a post yesterday morning, though late in the day I almost gave in to my self-imposed guilt at my lapse.  That irrational idea was relatively short-lived, though. But it occurred to me that … Continue reading →

I left yesterday’s church service (at Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship)—during which Peter Mayer delivered both his music and an inspirational “sermon”—feeling hopeful and optimistic. The subsequent barrage of horrifying news since then has squelched that emotional high. Another mass … Continue reading →

Last night, we attended a musical performance by Peter Mayer, well-known in Unitarian Universalist (UU) circles for both his songwriting and his voice. We learned of the event, organized and offered by the Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, by accident … Continue reading →

Unbroken restlessness. An urgent sense that, because time is unforgiving, immediate action is the only reasonable choice. Delays set fire to options. Act now, I hear myself say, or regret your failure to take advantage of diminishing opportunities. But I … Continue reading →

Fresh ideas are rare. Brilliant ideas are rarer still. Yet the search for that one spectacular idea never slows; never pauses. Belief in the brain’s ability to perform magic never stalls. That same irrational confidence gives us horoscopes and reliance … Continue reading →

Isolated. Insulated. Protected against the light of day. Hidden from the sun, the sky, clouds, raindrops…whatever is “out there,” waiting to pounce. The world outside my partitioned cell is invisible. Time has been paused…but for how long? How can I … Continue reading →

Every place has its downsides: Hurricanes. Crime. Floods. Droughts. Chiggers. Humidity. Ice. Snow. Heat. Expense. Ticks. Tornadoes. Mosquitoes. Earthquakes. Homelessness. Poverty. Sinkholes. Architectural sameness. Design diversity. Neighbors. Neighborhood. Cultural dullness. Etc. What is the point of looking for the ideal … Continue reading →

If I were considerably younger and more energetic, I might put my evolving political beliefs to work by challenging the societal and cultural decay taking place in North America and, indeed, worldwide. I might endeavor to create a new form … Continue reading →

Human culture in 2023 is drowning in violence and anger and arrogance. I sometimes wallow in a parochial viewpoint of the situation, asserting that the problem is especially keen in the USA—that we are world leaders, but that our leadership … Continue reading →

I woke late, fed Phaedra, showered, shaved, got dressed, and made coffee. Now, the time is almost 7 and I am just now attempting to sort out what is on my mind. As usual, I am thinking about you. Yes, … Continue reading →

This morning, I watched a short video clip of an interview with Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. She, like some of her British counterparts, has chosen to disengage from the life of a royal, opting instead to be just another … Continue reading →

If I removed the filters that constrain my speech, people within earshot would be shocked. Awkwardness would wash over them—and me—putting a damper on casual conversations. Some people might blush. Others might be titillated. And still others might react with … Continue reading →

Time and experience nurture wisdom. Wisdom comes in cycles, each new one possessed of more profound levels of insight. That is what wisdom is, after all, isn’t it? Insight born of time and experience? As time and experience accumulate over … Continue reading →

I did not feel the need to write a blog post yesterday. So I did not. I may opt to skip a day or two or three or…whatever…more frequently in the coming weeks and months. The satisfaction I get out … Continue reading →

Oftentimes, I reveal too much here. I write as though this repository of many of my deepest and most personal thoughts is inaccessible to anyone but me. In fact, of course, anyone with access to the internet might find themselves … Continue reading →