Momentary musings and mumbojumbo
There’s a vast mountain ahead, and we’re eager to get going. The peak looks terrific, and imagine the views. Plus, you’re talented, so you’ve got what it takes to reach the summit. That mountaintop – a promotion, a dream trip, or a simple hike – excites us. We look at it and want to be…
Think about your past self and some of the things you’ve done. There’s some cringe in there. But, we change, get better, and do new things with additional time. Then we look back on what we used to do and wish we’d only known better. I look back on some past things I wrote and…
Mass shootings are everywhere – eleven a week in mid-May 2022, a 10% increase from the previous year. I make a concerted effort to avoid news media; no thank you to the anxiety. But I see these tragedies – Buffalo, Uvalde, and America’s Independence Day from fireworks to gunshots. The victims of these acts and…
Fear is insidious, both for what it causes us to do and avoid. It’s easier to recognize fear-driven actions. For example, fear of extremist groups and terrorism drove the U.S.A.’s Muslim Ban. It’s more difficult to realize what we don’t do because of fear—for example, not asking for a raise because it may be denied…
38% of U.S adults are ‘extremely proud’ to be American, which increases to 65% when including very proud. From 2002-2004, U.S. adults were ~70% extremely proud and 90% extremely/very proud. Pride in who Americans are is decreasing. Happy Independence Day? Now, that increases to 87% when including 22% of moderately proud folks. So, I’m going…
Weekends are a fan favorite. Time for ourselves, hooray. It’s what we look forward to, how we get through Mondays and humpdays – the weekend glistening on the horizon. And I’m obsessed with weekends. Not because I anticipate them for freedom of my time, I love weekdays, but because I’m obsessed with how to spend…
When a decision arises, we’ve already chosen. I’m not preaching fatalism. Instead, I’m saying we make choices ahead of the moment of choosing. Let’s make that concrete. You’re taking an exam. You’re in the room hearing pencils scribble, pages turn, and a chronic cough is coming from a far corner. As you examine the multiple-choice…
Summer is a fantastic time of year. There are many memorable activities: cookouts, beaches, boats, vacations, weddings, and getting together outside. With this summer a week-ish old and America’s formal celebration for the 4th of July ahead, I’m thinking about what I want from this summer. And what do you want from it? Summer is…
There are big problems. And new and bigger problems arise as fast as we can solve them. There are wars, genocides, and famines. And there’s injustice, homelessness, and children separated from families. But how do we deal with the stream of things which need help? Many donate or rush to social media to support their…
What do you want to be when you grow up shifts into what do you do. It’s a transition with prominent stages: what do you want to be when you grow up, to where do you want to go to school, to what is your major, and ending at what do you do. At each…
