Author Archives: John Swinburn

Hurt feelings can cause emotions to get even more breakable. They do not become softer with use, they become brittle. It doesn’t matter whether the actions or omissions that caused the feelings to be scuffed were intentional or even legitimately … Continue reading →

As I begin today’s blog post, it’s almost 1:30 a.m. I’m awake because I haven’t been to bed yet. Going to bed late is not always the result of some external influence. Nor is it always a symptom of some … Continue reading →

The weather can take at least partial credit for my cheery mood yesterday morning. The mood could have continued with unabated joy, had the temperature ever reached its forecast high. But the rising temperatures seemed to stall around 67°F around … Continue reading →

Unlike a day ago, I awoke later than normal this morning, having slept soundly. Any dreams I had were pleasant; thoughts that went through my mind overnight left me feeling good, as if I had made peace with a sometimes … Continue reading →

Here it is, 3:15 a.m. and I’ve been awake for more than twenty minutes. I can feel my eyelids attempting to reclaim the sleep of which they are being deprived, but the allure of sleep is insufficient, for now, to … Continue reading →

Recently, I’ve engaged in conversations about places that, for various reasons, attract me. Among them: New Mexico and parts of Arizona, as well as several other places where rain is not as common, by far, as it is where I … Continue reading →

Paul Simon is probably right. There must be fifty ways to leave your lover. But without question there are a million different ways to replicate the outcome of the same mistake in different forms. I write from densely personal stupid … Continue reading →

As I was saying, there’s much more on my mind. Not that I’m going to record it all on this blog at this moment. Some of it, though… +++ I can’t control another person’s thoughts and emotions; I can control … Continue reading →

In spite of the drab, grey morning and despite the fact that the deck was wet (not sure whether it was just heavy dew or rain from last night), something about the morning’s atmosphere captured my interest and appreciation. Maybe … Continue reading →

In my opinion, The Woman in the Window, on Netflix, is a waste of time, intellect, and the investment made in producing the film. Why I watched it all the way through is beyond me. Fortunately, after I finished that … Continue reading →

A public post on Facebook by someone I do not know asked whether there’s music that brings tears to a person’s eyes. I could list dozens of such pieces, if only I remembered them all. But the music that moves … Continue reading →

It is just after 3:00 as I type this. I have been moderately awake for some time, thrashing around in the bed, trying without success to get comfortable. During the period in which I was not asleep but could not … Continue reading →

I had a late, slow start to the day. When I woke up at 4:45 or so, I did not feel like getting up. So, I set my alarm for 6:45 and went back to bed (I did not want … Continue reading →

My wife’s illness and then her death shattered both our dreams. I don’t even remember what they were, now. But they were grand. We were going to escape from the nightmare of COVID-19 and live the lives we had planned. … Continue reading →

A couple of weeks ago, I was introduced to a definition of a word I had known by a different definition. The definition, new to me, was “of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim; indistinct.” The definition I had known … Continue reading →

Cod. I like it. Its firm flesh has both the texture and the taste I like in a white fish. Yesterday, I thawed a piece of cod for last night’s dinner. I seasoned it with Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, garlic … Continue reading →

As usual, I opened my little anthology of Zen quotations this morning to a random page and read the quote aloud. When I read it, I suspected the Universe had been listening in on my thoughts and was offering advice … Continue reading →

My mind has been occupied, during many evenings the last few weeks, by watching a Flemish-language/English subtitled crime series called Undercover, a Netflix crime drama set primarily in Belgium. Much of the current season’s action is set on a country … Continue reading →

Significant tension exists between living in the here and now and planning for the future. Living for today tends to reduce worry, but potentially sets the stage for avoidable problems in the future. Planning for the future—and attempting to circumvent … Continue reading →

Contemplating the clear moon Reflecting a mind empty as the open sky — Drawn by its beauty, I lose myself In the shadow it casts. ~ Dogen ~ There is something about the simple, thought-provoking quotes I find in my … Continue reading →

I believe there is a market for RV rentals—a market that does not require renters to drive or drag miniature homes along the world’s highways. While the market would require renters to drive to the markets, at least the damage … Continue reading →

At the moment, the BBC.com website makes available several intriguing video-shorts on various subjects. One of them, entitled Why Extroverts Have Their Own Extreme Language, would be especially interesting  to people with an interest in language and its relationship with … Continue reading →

Though the number of people who read my blog is quite small, I do not know who comprises those who regularly view my blog posts. I know a few people who frequently view my posts, but I do not know … Continue reading →

A simple question asked of the wrong person can trigger unhinged fury. I know this from personal experience. Lesson learned. Do not give an irrational person possessed of an incoherent animosity even the slightest opportunity to twist reality to suit … Continue reading →

Yesterday, a woman friend with whom I am secretly and passionately in love (I guess the secret is out), suggested in a text message that I exhibit signs of “existential depression.” I had never heard the term before, so I … Continue reading →