Author Archives: John Swinburn

Zen in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one’s being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom. ~D.T. Suzuki “Seeing into the nature of one’s being…” It occurs to me that my entire … Continue reading →

Don’t be dissuaded about reading this post when you come upon sections that seem dreary or downright depressing. I’ll just leave it at that. +++ During my morning perusal of BBC.com I encountered several videos I intend to view, but … Continue reading →

Wine, cheese, hard Spanish chorizo, summer sausage, and far-reaching conversations made for an outstanding Friday evening. And that was after a filling and satisfying lunch at El Jimador. My friends and I stayed up talking and enjoying one another’s company … Continue reading →

My memory is a bit dim as far as when and where, but I remember seeing large numbers of benches and tables in a public space, like a park. Every one of the tables was occupied by two people, sitting … Continue reading →

My desk chair is wholly inadequate. It does not maintain my vertical position. Slowly—sometimes suddenly—the back of the chair tilts so that I find myself reclining in front of the computer. I’ve been advised to buy a nice, sturdy, ergonomically … Continue reading →

I have mixed feelings about yesterday’s conviction of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. While I think justice was served (who could think otherwise, having seen the video of Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck?), I am conflicted by … Continue reading →

Ten years ago, on another of my blogs that’s still visible but to which I no longer post, I wrote this: Unlike me, my father was not a man who wore his emotions on his sleeve. But he had emotions … Continue reading →

The temperature in the house is 65°F, a tad nippy for me but not cold enough to merit reverting the HVAC system to heating. I changed it several days ago to cooling, when outside temperatures climbed well above 80°F. The … Continue reading →

Last night, I went to dinner with four friends; three local, one distant, but all close in the sense that they contribute significantly to my ability to absorb life a little better on the heels of emotional somersaults. As is … Continue reading →

It is no secret that early morning—before daylight and before most of the life-forms near me in the valley below are awake—is my favorite time of day. It is a selfish time for me, a time when my obligations disappear … Continue reading →

Yesterday was an absolutely delightful day, the kind of experience one hopes every summer day will deliver. Except, of course, yesterday was not a summer day. But the temperature felt like it. I think the air temperature exceeded eighty degrees, … Continue reading →

Today, April 13, would have been my 41st wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe it has been 41 years since I married the woman who would transform my life into one worth living. It’s harder, still, to believe she has … Continue reading →

For the first time in a very, very long time, I drank a cup of coffee this morning that harkened back to the days when I used to grind my own coffee beans and make a pot of powerful coffee … Continue reading →

I struggle with my tendency to shoot from the hip from time to time. The occasional misfires can cause me, and people in my sphere, discomfort I do not intend but that flows from my actions, nonetheless. There’s value in … Continue reading →

Yesterday, a friend arrived for a visit. We spent the afternoon talking and wondering whether the rain would stop. When it did, we went to dinner at a lakeside restaurant; beautiful view, good service, tolerable but disappointing meal (for me). … Continue reading →

Another few tidbits from my little book, The Essence of Zen: Past and future are illusions. They exist only in the present, which is what there is and all that there is. ~Alan Watts~ Solitude is freedom. It is an … Continue reading →

Once again, I woke late this morning. When I opened my eyes, the view challenged the majesty of an enormous and elaborate stained-glass window in a church sanctuary. The sun had only begun to brighten the sky, cloudless but awash … Continue reading →

For the first time in my memory, I measured the two surgical scars on the front of my torso. Both are roughly seven inches long. Though I can’t readily reach the scar that runs from my back around the side … Continue reading →

As we age, we lose pieces of ourselves. In our youth, we could not conceive of the losses. How could it possibly be, we silently but mockingly wondered, that something so crucial to our sense of self could disappear into … Continue reading →

The simultaneous intersections of a host of experiences of emotional and analytical experiences in my mind have, once again, highlighted significant flaws. That is, which ones can be repaired and which of the shattered and broken pieces should simply be … Continue reading →

My mother, a career English teacher who earned her master’s degree in English, was something of a grammar Nazi. That, no doubt, is part of the reason sometimes I am so particular with language. However, I am happy to ignore … Continue reading →

NOTE: I received communication from a woman who is related to some of the people whose names I originally included on this post. She asked me to remove those names.  Inasmuch as it was never my intent to cause anyone … Continue reading →

Libido. One of the definitions of the word is: all of the instinctual energies and desires that are derived from the id. Id is defined as the part of the psyche, residing in the unconscious, that is the source of … Continue reading →