Category Archives: Ruminations

The world is awash in interesting people.  They’re not all people with whom you’d want to spend a great deal of time, but they’re interesting, nonetheless.  Like the guy in a long, dirty rainbow robe over his clothes; he has … Continue reading →

The dream involved a very tall man, a man who had been condemned to death by hanging. I was responsible for transporting him to the gallows. Somehow, using his legs, he flipped me over and lifted my body high above him. … Continue reading →

Stand between two tall mirrors. Watch the reflections of your body stretch into eternity. That’s how far you can see if you allow your mind the freedom you give your eyes.

At what point does paranoia become mass paranoia?  How many people does it take? It is percentage of the population, or is there an absolute number of paranoid people who suffer under the same delusion beyond which the label applies? … Continue reading →

All people should have a portrait made or a photo taken, at least once in their lives, raising their fists in the air and clenching a knife between their teeth. I’m seeking photographers.

I have a hard time trusting people who claim to dislike poetry.  Either they are lying to themselves or they are lying to me. Poetry is emotion given the gift of language; you just can’t dislike that unless you carry the … Continue reading →

None of us will get out of this alive. I wonder whether it matters. Our lives are so short and, for the most part, so inconsequential to humankind, to the planet, to the vast and unknowable universe. But a few … Continue reading →

Fear is the springboard for hatred.  Even hatred that emerges from bravado is a response to deep, uncontrollable fear. Racism and homophobia are but two examples of fear-based hatred. The terror that gives rise to such hatred is evidence of extraordinary feelings … Continue reading →

The world whispers about all its secrets. Only those who listen intently hear them.

I suspect that, at some point in the not-too-distant future, life forms will be capable of changing as quickly as the technologies created by humankind.  For example, the evolution of exceptionally efficient biological filters might take place to replace the already extraordinary, … Continue reading →

The effort required to present a positive facade can drain what little energy is left. A tank of gas, a power bar and a thermos full of coffee can restore that lost spark.

Let’s suppose a celebrated trio of well-known scientists—a psychiatrist, a sociologist, and a physicist—jointly create a spectacularly powerful substance that, when administered to humans in aerosol form, makes people extremely susceptible to suggestion. Let’s further suppose this trio develops a … Continue reading →

Much is said about symmetry, but little about the divide between symmetry and satisfaction. We need a little chaos in our lives to appreciate perfect circles and dodecahedrons. That having been said, I was mesmerized yesterday when I stumbled across an … Continue reading →

When the decision is reached, heads bow and children whimper. “This is the end times, my friends,” the old man proclaims, “the end of days as prophesied in the Bible.” Granger, the multi-lingual bullfrog, watches it play out with a … Continue reading →

Some words you spoke to someone who found themselves in a dark, painful place erased the worst of the pain and made bearable that person’s next moments. You may not remember what those words were, nor to whom they were spoken. … Continue reading →

Distant thunder is a secretive sound. It hides its location, but warns me with its powerful growl, like a protective dog baring its teeth if I get too close.

If you wake up each day and require yourself to express appreciation for people you don’t know, it won’t be long before you start actually appreciating them. And it can go on from there.

Sharing the person you are, way down deep, is fraught with danger. Once you reveal that hidden man with all his flaws, you cannot undo the revelation. So, be careful. Flaws can sharpen claws and give justification to the unjustified.

Today is a good day. It’s my wife’s birthday, a day to celebrate! And we shall.

Solving problems generally requires acknowledging their existence. That’s why many problems never seem to go away. For example, I refuse to acknowledge the existence of Ted Cruz. Perhaps if I did, he would.

Frequently, I will allow someone whose perspectives differ radically from mine—even when I believe their perspectives are biased and immoral and fundamentally wrong—to make their case without allowing myself to automatically reject their arguments. Usually, I find their arguments weak … Continue reading →

Honestly, now. Wouldn’t your life be a lot calmer and your time on this earth more serene if you ‘d just stop blaming people, including yourself, for the state of affairs? Wouldn’t it be easier just to change the world? … Continue reading →

You approach me, your eyes fiercely blue and focused, as a friend. But you leave me as a lover. Is this something you dreamed or something you experienced? Or both? And, for me, what can I say but I am … Continue reading →

You can’t see the stars unless you go outside on clear, dark nights.

When you watch her smile turn into a sneer, you know things have changed. And that’s when you transform from loving friend to unyielding protective shield, a shield with sharp claws and no compunction about using them.