A Thought: On the Timing of Destiny

I used to believe that we were brought to situations and people at the times in our lives when we needed to be there. I still do, but for a different reason.

Now I believe it's because we are always, if we approach life openly and honestly, with a modicum of self-awareness and a lot of curiosity, capable of learning from those places in which we find ourselves and those with whom we do. Read more!

A Thought: On Those Who Would Do Us Harm

If you give to those who would do you harm nothing but peace, love and understanding, those are the only things which they will have to use against you. Read more!

A Thought: On the Language of Music

There is so much power in the universality of music. I firmly believe that, if Babel is what shattered the words of the world into something incomprehensible from one place to the next, before it, we all sang. Read more!

A Thought: On the Spread of Ignorance

All moral objection aside, to mock the beliefs of those who preach ignorance is to virtually assure that those who listen to them, knowing no better, will be too ashamed to seek out truth.

In essence, then, do we, by doing so, hinder passively the spread of reason as much as those who do so actively.

It is better to put forth truth into the world with reason, infinite kindness and patience than to waste breath in chiding those who would do otherwise. Read more!

A Thought: On the End of Violence

There is a phrase, "ending in violence," which I've never really understood. Regardless of the nature of the conflict, the level of the violence, it is never an ending, but rather the almost inevitable catalyst for more violence.

To stop violence, we must cease violence. I will never advocate standing down in the face of true injustice, but hands put to good use, set to building, rather than destroying, are a much more powerful force, and the only one capable of creating true change. Read more!

A Thought: On Love and Faith

Recently, I read an article regarding whether a statement the current Pope made regarding education of a new generation of children in the faith, which included, as an anecdotal example, a story about a little girl whose mother was in a lesbian relationship, should be interpreted to mean he was making a declaration about gay parents.

The author of the article in The National Catholic Register, which chose to focus more heavily on two words rather than the overarching theme of the three hour conference, stated, as his interpretation, that the Pope's underlying meaning was:

"When parents or guardians are living in a situation that publicly contradicts Christian teaching, it creates a very difficult problem of how to communicate the fullness of Christian truth to them without putting them in a situation where they must choose between their parents and the Faith and end up turning against the Faith."

It is my belief, both as a Christian and a reasoned person, that if one's natural inclination prior to socialization is to choose one's parents, who have loved unconditionally and thereby taught one to do so, over an interpretation of any faith which says that love must not be for everyone, then there is something to be said about which love is more true. Read more!

A Thought: On Protecting American Rights

The moment you say that any right given to some Americans should not be given to all of them, regardless of reasons why not, you are no longer allowed to complain when someone wishes to remove yours.

True Americans fight for all people, not just those with whom they agree. To use one's guaranteed rights to voice one's thoughts, to back them up with strength of arms or power of assembly, to try and prevent others from obtaining equal rights is antithetical to all upon which this country was founded, in practice as well as in principle, and invalidates the very reasons we were given them in the first place, to ensure Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness for ALL free people of this great nation. Read more!

A Thought: On the Power of Kindness

There is a rare and perfect beauty in a kind act, regardless of the size or scope, that reaches across the gap inevitable between any two souls that, while it may well be uncrossable, can, in that moment, be made meaningless. Read more!

A Thought: On the Maturation of Diversity

In the beginning, when I was too young to know any better, I found myself seeking the outliers, the people who ended up, more often than not without having chosen to be so, on the fringes. It seemed fitting, as that's where I always seemed to end up, anyway.

As I got older, though, I realized that restricting myself to just those sorts was cutting out a lot of folks that, even if they seemed a bit more homogenous outside, all had stories of their own, and these stories were just as interesting and important as those who seemed more outwardly distinct.

These days, I find myself wanting to sit and talk with just about anyone, to figure out who and why they are and where they've been. I'm even looking to make a career of it. Because, in the end, people are just plain fascinating, achingly beautiful, heartbreakingly flawed (and we all are), but endlessly varied and unique. Read more!

A Thought: On Supply and Demand

If you demand nothing from people, you will often find you get everything. Read more!

A Thought: On the Burden and Blessing of Perception

It's the unfortunate burden, and consummate blessing, of those able to see evil in the world that they will often find themselves in a place to do good. Read more!

A Thought: On the Responsibility of Change

I don't care for statements like, "Money changes people," or, "Power corrupts." They remove all responsibility from the person changing for the subsequent change.

A more accurate statement would be that people with money or power change. Nothing outside ourselves can force a particular change upon us. While we are often faced with situations which require adaptation, we always have a choice in how we are changed by them and rarely are the changes we make irreversible. Read more!

A Thought: On the Necessity of Primary Sources

I treat arguments over information found on the internet, be they scientific, political or otherwise, the same way I do those about religion or The Constitution.

If you only have a passing familiarity with the primary source, I'm not likely to give it much time or credence. Read more!

A Thought: On the Burden of Self-Awareness

It is not enough to recognize your flaws. Once you've done so, you have a responsibility to do everything you can to rectify them.

It may be a battle that lasts a lifetime, but it will be one that is always worth fighting. Read more!

A Thought: On the Risk of Death

In the growing cultural obsession with postponing our inevitable demise, it's becoming more and more common to see the phrase, "if you do/don't do this or that, you're increasing your risk of death."

I find it funny, every time. To use the word risk implies that, somehow, if we follow the proper rituals or cultivate the proper diet or what have you, we can manage to avoid dying.


It's a waste of time focusing on how long until we die when it could be better spent reveling in how long we have left to live. Read more!

A Thought: On the Value of Losing Everything

It isn't until we've lost everything that we can truly understand the value of anything. Read more!

A Thought: On a Too Dark World

Sometimes the world only seems so dark because we've forgotten to open our eyes to the light that surrounds us. Read more!

A Thought: On the Struggle for Balance

Balance can never be achieved through struggle, only acceptance. Read more!

A Thought: On Playing Chess with a Bhuddist

A wise and accomplished Buddhist will always lose at chess, but will never mind. Read more!

A Thought: On Grammar and Idiocy

For some reason, it always bothers me more when I read ignorant, bigoted or closed-minded statements that are well-written and grammatically correct.  Read more!