Author Archives: John Swinburn

About John Swinburn

"Love not what you are but what you may become."― Miguel de Cervantes

Happier Thoughts

Posted on July 9, 2019 by John Swinburn

People in Western culture, I think (and I’m not alone), don’t really believe they’re going to die one day. They comprehend it on an intellectual level, but the end of existence is not a reality with which we can engage … Continue reading →

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My Father was a Carnivorous Xylopolist: A Rambling Recollection

Posted on July 8, 2019 by John Swinburn

Yes, my father was a xylopolist. I did not know that until just a short while ago. Somehow, some way, I stumbled across the word online. I didn’t recognize it, so I looked it up. It wasn’t in the free … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Memories | Leave a comment

Traverse City and Such

Posted on July 7, 2019 by John Swinburn

Some friends are spending a couple of weeks in Michigan on a house-sitting assignment. They are taking advantage of their time their to visit Saugatuck, Traverse City, and a flock of other cities and towns on and around Lake Michigan. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Conversation with Myself

Posted on July 5, 2019 by John Swinburn

The U.S. Department of Agriculture first printed its “Special Report on Diseases of the Horse” in 1890. It was reprinted in 1896 and later revised and reprinted in 1903, 1908, 1911, and finally in 1916. The 1916 edition, and possibly … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Thinking | Leave a comment

Language Crimes

Posted on July 4, 2019 by John Swinburn

Go ahead, call me a Grammar Nazi. But, actually, t’s not grammar. It’s vocabulary. Here’s a heading for a story I read recently on CNN.com: “Man breaks in to rob a Florida Wendy’s but stops to make himself dinner first.” … Continue reading →

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An Unhappy Place in My Head

Posted on July 3, 2019 by John Swinburn

Yesterday, I finally began the slow, arduous task of painting the deck. Even though I haven’t yet found someone to complete the replacement of deck boards, I decided paint needed to go on the scraped and sanded boards. Only one … Continue reading →

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Strangely Canadian

Posted on July 2, 2019 by John Swinburn

“Canada is the largest exporter and the second largest producer of mustard seed in the world, accounting for 75-80 per cent of all mustard exports worldwide, according to the Canadian Special Crops Association.” So says HUFFPOST Canada. I have no … Continue reading →

Posted in Absurdist Fantasy | 3 Comments

Opinionated About Men and Women

Posted on July 1, 2019 by John Swinburn

Why is it that women, in general, are more interesting than men, in general? Why is it that women tend to be unafraid of being silly and emotional, whereas men tend to avoid being silly for fear of looking silly? … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Ćevapčići

Posted on June 30, 2019 by John Swinburn

Last night’s dinner consisted of ćevapčići (pronounced, as best as I can determine, “chevopcheche”), sliced purple onion, and sliced tomatoes. I made the ćevapčići from a pound of 80/20 ground beef, one-third of a cup of lukewarm water, and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Philosophy | Leave a comment

A Northern Thai Birthday Celebration

Posted on June 29, 2019 by John Swinburn

Yesterday was my wife’s birthday, so we went out to dinner last night in celebration. She had mentioned to me after we had lunch at the place, kBird, a couple of months ago that she would like to return for … Continue reading →

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Debatable

Posted on June 28, 2019 by John Swinburn

I wonder how quickly the field of Democratic presidential hopefuls will shrink to a manageable number? As in, fewer than five. And, then, just two or three. With one standout among them. I watched most of the first two Democratic … Continue reading →

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Chiggers Are Evil

Posted on June 27, 2019 by John Swinburn

After the fact, I berate myself for having failed to soak my feet, ankles, and legs with Deep Woods Off. I curse the laziness responsible for the absence of insect repellent around my belt line. And I express displeasure at … Continue reading →

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Indistinguishable Facts and Fictions

Posted on June 26, 2019 by John Swinburn

The horizon, what little I can see of it against the black outline of tree trunks and leaves, is salmon pink. Or coral. Oh, I don’t know; the color is hard to describe and hard to look away from. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Writing | Leave a comment

Brittle Memories

Posted on June 25, 2019 by John Swinburn

It hasn’t been long since I finished my chemo and radiation treatments, but apparently I’ve tried to erase the experiences from memory. I say that because I returned to my radiologist’s office for a follow-up this afternoon and all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cancer, Emotion, Health | Leave a comment

Doing Cartwheels in the Sky

Posted on June 25, 2019 by John Swinburn

Daydreams—call them fantasies if you like—keep a person fresh. Those reveries paint pictures in our minds of an environment in which we exercise control of the world around us. They allow us to be bold, daring, adventuresome; without fear of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Child Who Is Not Embraced by the Village…

Posted on June 24, 2019 by John Swinburn

I have seen this proverb before but, for some reason, the depth of its meaning did not reach me until I saw it yesterday. Yesterday, its truth became so obvious to me that I slapped my forehead with the palm … Continue reading →

Posted in Compassion | 2 Comments

Jeremiad

Posted on June 23, 2019 by John Swinburn

As I skim materials I’ve written in months and years past, I realize my collected works could well be called Jeremiad. That is,  “a prolonged lamentation or mournful complaint.” Also, “a cautionary or angry harangue.” Those definitions come from Merriam-Webster’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Depression, Emotion, Writing | Leave a comment

Repackaged Memories

Posted on June 22, 2019 by John Swinburn

Once again, I came across an article on Facebook about cannibal sandwiches. But it wasn’t another article. It was the same article, repackaged for distribution by NPR through Facebook on Saturday, June 22, 2019. Facebook claims the link to the … Continue reading →

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Compassion for Monsters

Posted on June 22, 2019 by John Swinburn

Feeling compassion for people whose ill will and animosity shine like beacons of hate is not easy. But it may be necessary. If we are to have any hope of healing the divisions that have brought the world to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | 4 Comments

That Damn Good Deed

Posted on June 21, 2019 by John Swinburn

I should have known better, but I did it anyway. I came to a stop, put the car in “park,” pressed the emergency flasher button, and got out of the car. I then dragged two large, broken tree limbs blocking … Continue reading →

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Today Can Only Get Better

Posted on June 20, 2019 by John Swinburn

I don’t have it in me today. I do not have the wherewithal to write about last night’s storms or the film we saw yesterday afternoon or the meal we ate last night. And my philosophical side is torn and … Continue reading →

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Time is Money

Posted on June 19, 2019 by John Swinburn

Time is money. That apothegm means, to most of us, that time is a valuable resource and, as such, it is better to do things as quickly as possible. But I also see it from another perspective. That is, one … Continue reading →

Posted in Language, Philosophy | Leave a comment

Opinions and Facts

Posted on June 18, 2019 by John Swinburn

I read an interesting but painfully true cartoon caption this morning. You don’t want to hear my opinion. You want to hear your opinion coming out of my mouth. Too often, that’s true. And the thirst for affirmation is the … Continue reading →

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The Appeal of Doubt and Uncertainty

Posted on June 17, 2019 by John Swinburn

Yesterday morning, after the regular church service, I watched and listened to a TED Talk entitled “The Gospel of Doubt,” delivered by Casey Gerald. Hearing Gerald’s words was like listening in on my own thoughts. But I have nothing in … Continue reading →

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On the Lake

Posted on June 16, 2019 by John Swinburn

Yesterday afternoon, our neighbors took us out for a boat ride on Lake Balboa. Their small catamaran party barge accommodates four people quite well and could, I imagine, hold up to eight comfortably. Yesterday, though, it was just the four … Continue reading →

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