Author Archives: John Swinburn

At least I did not get up at 3 this morning. I awoke just after 2, but managed to drift off quite a while later. But I was awake again before 4:30, so I opted to get up for the … Continue reading →

For various discernable reasons, I feel overwhelmed by obligations that, in reality, are not obligations. They are options I have chosen to treat as obligations. Perhaps “chosen” is not the right word. I should replace that word with “allowed myself.” … Continue reading →

Writing, from my perspective, is both tedious and stimulating. It combines elements of torture and elation, though not always at the same time. Perhaps the most important aspect of writing for me is its ability to prove to me that … Continue reading →

Here in the Little Rock Double tree, darkness pervades the quiet room. I am trying to be quiet, so as not to wake my sleeping companion. When she wakes, we will see about breakfast, then while away the hours until … Continue reading →

I’ve encountered—mostly through literature and film—several characters named “Destiny.” In most cases, the name seems oddly in conflict with the haphazard nature of their lives. Recently, I was reminded of another “Destiny” I encountered in passing, this one in the … Continue reading →

My parents never had much money. Their jobs were not well-paying and rearing six kids siphoned off every cent they had. To my knowledge, they never had much in savings and they had no retirement income except Social Security which, … Continue reading →

If not for my growing fascination with posts made in the Facebook group, That’s It, I’m Architecture Shaming, I would not be so increasingly conscious of the brutalism style of architecture. But several members of the group regularly post photos … Continue reading →

I saw a re-post on Facebook this morning that caught my attention. I wasn’t sure whether the words simply resonated with me because I endorse the sentiment they convey or, instead, whether they caused me to have an intensely introspective … Continue reading →

Mistakes can be costly in many ways. They can cost money, time, energy, confidence, and comfort. Failing to own up to them can cost even more. Respect and trust are two of the most costly aspects of denying—or failing to … Continue reading →

Today is my friend’s birthday. If justice prevailed in our corner of the universe, she and her husband would rush down to Hot Springs Village so we could celebrate her successful attainment of a certain age. Alternatively, we would head … Continue reading →

The temperature this morning, as of about 5, was 21°F. Today’s high is expected to reach 46°F. But the air temperature will remain at or below freezing until around 9 this morning. These facts matter to me because the slush … Continue reading →

You can see everything in the universe in one tangerine. When you peel it and smell it, it’s wonderful. You can take your time eating a tangerine and be very happy. ~ Thích Nhất Hạnh ~ +++ I vacillate between … Continue reading →

One of my blog posts found its way into the February issue of The Springs Magazine. The publisher, JoAnn Mangione, who occasionally follows this blog, asked if she could include one of my posts in her magazine. Naturally, I was … Continue reading →

I feel depressed this morning. There’s no etiology to my mood. Though there are plenty of things that could be partly responsible for it, I don’t think anything is to blame. I sometimes feel like nothing matters. But then, suddenly, … Continue reading →

I disagree vehemently with a lot of people about their beliefs. I detest the repugnant philosophies of the KKK.  I find offensive the claims by some groups of men who insist that equal protection laws target men with the purpose … Continue reading →

The posts on this blog generally amount to conversations with myself. That is true even though my intent these days is to engage readers in far-flung dialogues that mimic the philosophical exchanges one might expect during a comfortable morning gathering … Continue reading →

Once again, I was unable to sleep through the night. Though I went to bed early, I woke only two or three hours into the night’s sleep. From that point forward, I drifted in and out of sleep at roughly … Continue reading →

Whether—beneath the sediment of almost seventy years—layers of buried memories of my family of eight await excavation, I do not know. Perhaps the passage of time turned those memories to ash that cannot be recovered. Instead of hidden memories, fragments … Continue reading →

Last night, I left my cell phone in my study instead of my usual practice of connecting it to an outlet just outside the bedroom door to charge. I wish I would have followed my usual actions. Had I done … Continue reading →

Last night, my niece arranged a quick Zoom video conversation with my hospitalized brother, after she and talked on the phone while she was on her way to the skilled nursing facility to visit him. I could barely make out … Continue reading →

When I awoke for awhile around 3:00 a.m., the idea that people sometimes might be able to sense things going on in others’ lives—even at great distance—came to mind.  You know the concept: a mother senses something is wrong with … Continue reading →

The topic of synchronicity, not new to this blog, is on my mind. It occurs to me that synchronous occurrences are not always positive. They just as easily can be negative. When events take place in different places, involving people … Continue reading →

Tuesdays are inherently better than Mondays, if for no other reason than—on Tuesdays—a local liquor store sells an already-cheap wine that I like to drink at a further fifteen percent discount. That takes the price down from $5.99 to $5.09. … Continue reading →

I had too much on my mind to stay asleep after 2:00 a.m.  No matter how I tried to empty my mind, vexing thoughts kept filling my head. Anxieties, worries, concerns—whatever names one might attach to troubling matters—would not leave … Continue reading →

Call it mawkish or maudlin or mushy. Call it by whatever name you feel compelled to use to dismiss it. But give compassion its due. Consider the power of kindness to protect people from stepping over that invisible line beyond … Continue reading →