Category Archives: Fear

Unbearable Ennui

Posted on May 18, 2020 by John Swinburn

Perhaps the enormous consequences of the pandemic are only now beginning to sink in. Maybe that is why, this morning, I feel fragile; as if I were a hollow vessel whose skin is a microscopically-thin crystalline membrane left behind when … Continue reading →

Posted in Anger, Depression, Fear | Leave a comment

Better to Know than Not

Posted on April 30, 2020 by John Swinburn

I just returned from I expected to be a routine follow-up visit to my oncologist. Instead, I learned that my CT scan from earlier in the week showed some troubling changes. Nothing major, necessarily, but of sufficient concern that my … Continue reading →

Posted in Cancer, Covid-19, Fear | 7 Comments

Bloodshed and Emptiness

Posted on August 4, 2019 by John Swinburn

I can barely contain my rage and my fear this morning. After the horrific mass shooting yesterday in El Paso, I awoke this morning to news of another mass shooting, this one in Dayton, Ohio. My nephew and his wife … Continue reading →

Posted in Anger, Fear | 2 Comments

Afraid of What?

Posted on March 20, 2018 by John Swinburn

For reasons unknown, a memory that’s been hidden for many years surfaced this evening. I remembered being frightened of living in this world to such an extent that I fantasized about living in a granite cave carved into the side … Continue reading →

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Writing Out of Fear

Posted on January 11, 2017 by John Swinburn

My limited writing of late skirts the edges of frivolity from time to time, then rushes headlong into its muck. Poor writing, they say, is better than none at all. My writing in recent weeks fits the bill of better than … Continue reading →

Posted in Anger, Fear, Government, Politics | Leave a comment

Observations on Animal Instinct

Posted on January 7, 2017 by John Swinburn

Despite its many bungling attempts to protect us (e.g.,  the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommends an absolutely natural response if one confronts an active shooter or other such attack on one’s person (i.e., … Continue reading →

Posted in Fear, Frustration, Philosophy | Leave a comment