Author Archives: John Swinburn

Another early start—even earlier than yesterday. The glowing red numbers on the bedside clock read “3:43” when I got out of bed for the second time this morning. I mistook the time as “2:11” the first time, but I missed … Continue reading →

Arising a few hours before sunrise can be a cleansing occurrence. I think getting up that early enables a person to discard some of the accumulated detritus from the preceding days and weeks—if, that is, the person wants an opportunity … Continue reading →

I am beyond restless, hungry for a different environment. Anxious and thirsty for some kind of change. Edgy and agitated.  Anxious to abandon my predictable daily routines for a while. Maybe longer. I do not know the source of my … Continue reading →

A flurry of friends occupy my thoughts this morning. Yesterday, Jim and Vicki, good friends of mine since around 1997, made a little detour on their way from Alexandria, Virginia to Dallas to have lunch with us. This afternoon, if … Continue reading →

I learned about the Sarco yesterday, however I only skimmed part of an article that described the device and its creator. The idea made enough of an impact on me, though, that I decided to explore it in a little … Continue reading →

I am curious about life experiences that have shaped the attitudes and beliefs of people I know; both people close to me and others with whom I know only casually. If the world were as accommodating as I would like, … Continue reading →

I woke early enough this morning. But, even so, I have no interest in doing anything. Not writing, not eating breakfast. Nothing at all. I want to go back to bed and sleep through the day and through the night … Continue reading →

Brilliant blue flashes of light and growling, rolling, ground-shaking concussions from cracks of thunder woke me from a dream. With no coverings over the windowpanes, every flash of lightning illuminated the room, filling it with an otherworldly fluorescent blue cast. … Continue reading →

The question arises in me periodically—or, maybe, it always crouches in the back of my mind: Where, or what, is “home?” In a mobile society, the concept that home is the place in which one was born applies to fewer … Continue reading →

Today is Valentine’s Day. Like so many other holidays, it has been appropriated by money-hungry merchants and their philosophical kin, eager to transform a celebration into an opportunity to extract money from celebrants. I read an article this morning that … Continue reading →

Discipline. When one thinks about the discipline required for successful dieting or exercising, one’s thoughts center on the self-control necessary to train oneself to follow a specific regimen. But when the subject involves correcting a child who has behaved badly, … Continue reading →

I read, with some regularity, NPR’s blog, Goats and Soda: Stories of Life in a Changing World [the story of the blog’s name is interesting, by the way]. This morning, I read a fascinating and entertaining story about “glam makeovers … Continue reading →

If I could start over—from the very beginning—and had the ability to make the choice, I think I might choose to be Finnish or Estonian or Dutch. Many years ago, I spent a day in Helsinki, so the choice of … Continue reading →

Presented with an unlabeled globe or map of the world, what percentage of Americans would be able to correctly pinpoint more than fifty percent of the following locations: Somalia; Cameroon; Burkina Faso; Sudan; Chad; Democratic Republic of Congo; Gabon; Rwanda; … Continue reading →

Yesterday’s long periods involving very heavy rain have stretched into a new day. Brilliant blue skies look at me through a trio of large windows. The monitor of my new computer, a  27-inch beast, blocks part of the view, but … Continue reading →

On occasion, thin slices of almost-lost memories struggle to the surface of consciousness. When that occurs, the mind sometimes attempts to resurrect those forgotten moments. Most of those long-abandoned recollections quickly fade. But some of them, after they spring up, … Continue reading →

Squirrels’ movements are rapid and abrupt. The ways in which their bodies move—with an on-again, off-again jerkiness—suggest a staccato, high-speed replay of stop action video. When the creatures display their odd—but altogether natural—behavior, I sense they may be on high-dose … Continue reading →

Desire is an interesting emotion. Desire seems to be dramatically more forceful than mere want. Yet desire is less powerful than need.  Or is it? Are the two inextricably combined? Desire may not be articulated openly; unlike need, desire often … Continue reading →

A few years ago, while dabbling in reality, my mind ricocheted between darkness and whimsy at lightning speed. In a post entitled, Hiding Behind Rainbows with a Machete in Hand, the dichotomy was glaringly evident. Bouncing between delight and desperation … Continue reading →

The last several days, during which meteorologists and local “authorities” urged people to stay home in response to an expected series of ice storms, failed to meet expectations. Though there was some freezing rain, some sleet, and a touch of … Continue reading →

When one writes as regularly as I do, he tends to reveal secrets about himself without overtly admitting to them. He wants to express himself honestly and openly, but to do so might mimic lighting a match in a room … Continue reading →

The human brain is incredible. Somewhere among the multiple layers of tissue and discrete clusters of specialty cells are answers to every question ever asked and more that have yet to be posed. The brain is an intricate, elaborate, impossibly … Continue reading →

As I try to think cogent thoughts this morning, I encounter obstacles. Nothing is pertinent. Nothing is believable or relevant. Everything is imaginary. All of the customs of the culture are artificial. Jobs, social institutions like religions and governments—even families … Continue reading →

Do not go gentle into that good night but rage, rage against the dying of the light. ~ Dylan Thomas ~ For a while after I awoke at around 4 this morning, and for several minutes after I swallowed numerous … Continue reading →

Maybe the appeal of live music concerts is rooted in the energy of the audience. Or the novelty of seeing performers display their talents. Or both. Or a combination of those facets, coupled with the merger of sounds of voices … Continue reading →