Author Archives: John Swinburn

The world around us is in a constant state of change. Even solid granite decays over time. Bars of solid stainless steel decompose, bit by bit, until their transformation is complete. But we do not have the ability to witness … Continue reading →

I wish I knew the source of this early morning ennui. If I knew the source, I could address it. But I have no idea. I thought I was perfectly happy when I went to bed. Yet I woke in … Continue reading →

Is it hopeful, I wonder, or simply unchecked fantasy? Can one hit “re-set” and revise the direction his life has taken? Is it possible to unmake the mistakes one has made? Or, at least, correct them, thereby recovering lost opportunities? … Continue reading →

How long does it take between the time one recognizes one’s faults and the moment one’s behavior changes to correct them? The following excerpt from something I posted to an old blog of mine in January 2008 (when 46-inch televisions … Continue reading →

The man who writes posts for this blog is temporarily on strike. We have been reassured that the blog’s web host is in talks with strikebreakers at this very moment. While that occurs, though, the “muscles” for both sides are … Continue reading →

Some of my fantasies are so crisp and clear I almost can feel myself brushing against the skin of a person’s hand as I pass her on my walk along the water. I can feel and smell ocean breezes. I … Continue reading →

A drive of just over two hours can shake the cobwebs off of impracticality. What once was only a slightly blurry look into a prospective future becomes more sharply focuses as the hours and the miles drift by. Yesterday’s drive … Continue reading →

Today, we’ll drive a little less than two and a half hours, to Texarkana, to look at the remnants of…what, my lost dream? To others, it probably is just two-and-a-half acres, a manufactured house, and some out-buildings. But to me … Continue reading →

We are engaged in a great undeclared war, an epic struggle between tolerance and loathing. Between acceptance and repudiation. Between affirmation and wretched denial. None of us will acknowledge the fight has begun. To the victor will go not only … Continue reading →

During the past several months, I have made an on-again, off-again habit of reading a blog that posts, daily, thought-provoking quotations. These quotations—virtually all taken from the theological/mystical writings of people with whom I am either not familiar or only … Continue reading →

The rumble of distant thunder grows louder as the storms approach. What once were indistinct growls become precise and explicit, signs that rain is a near-certainty. Still too dark for me to see whether the blur outside my window is … Continue reading →

The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as follows: “… an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” The association clarifies the definition with the addition of these comments: “People with anxiety disorders … Continue reading →

…kisses are a better fate than wisdom… ~ E.E. Cummings ~ +++ Bacalhau is the Portuguese word for cod—as in the fish that is not native to Portuguese waters but is, nonetheless, the most popular fish in Portugal. According to … Continue reading →

In a few weeks, I will discuss my faith journey with the congregation of my church. My presentation will constitute one of what we call our Insight Services, in which a speaker shares his or her perspectives on a specific … Continue reading →

The sight of a doe and her fawn was Nature’s attempt to lift my spirits this morning. Thanks, Nature, but I’m not receptive to mood-lighteners this morning. I awoke with a snarl on my lips and it remains there, as … Continue reading →

Is it “natural” for heterosexuals to seek out partners with whom they share living quarters and with whom they conceive children and live rather isolated lives within a nuclear family? Or was that practice embedded in our brains (and, ultimately, … Continue reading →

It’s past 6:30; I should be up and energetic by now. But I am not energetic. Far from it. I got up around 5:30. Ever since, I have felt spent; weak in body and spirit. I should go for a … Continue reading →

Darkness still drenches the back deck, making it impossible to see whether there is any evidence of what made the very loud racket an hour ago. My guess is that a raccoon got caught up in one of the decorative … Continue reading →

It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution. ~ Oscar Wilde ~ +++ Just shy of two months after surgery to remove the cancer-laden lower lobe from my right lung, I wrote the following: Forgiveness does not … Continue reading →

Too many words, not enough meat. That’s my primary critique of my writing. I recognize my propensity for thinking—and writing—in long, convoluted strings. So I’ll make this post brief. Relatively speaking. Wordy, yes, but at least consistently wordy. Or should … Continue reading →

The fundamental problem with human societies is and always has been rooted in one cold, hard fact. We have been unable to come to agreement on two things: what constitutes morality and how to enforce morality’s control over behavior: both … Continue reading →

I spar with the world, but I’m generally quite happy with it. If I had absolute power and control, I might change a few things about it—poverty, war, famine, thirst, sickness, loss, physical and emotional pain, politics, corruption, disease, judgment, … Continue reading →

Not long ago, I started walking again most mornings when temperatures and humidity levels have been low enough for outdoor jaunts to be tolerable. As relatively flat as I thought my new neighborhood was, realty has taught me otherwise. Compared … Continue reading →

Once again, I awoke in the middle of the night—before 3:30. I knew immediately that I would not be able to quickly fall asleep, though I had done precisely that when I got up at 12:30 and again at 2 … Continue reading →

I lost the majority of what I wrote this morning. When I attempted to save what I had written, WordPress did not cooperate. Apparently, it had saved a fraction of what I had written…the parts produced below. I am annoyed, … Continue reading →