Musings for my kids, my kids’ kids, and my kids’ kids’ kids....
I “read” Brave New World in 2011. Truth is, I skimmed SparkNotes the night before the test, bullshit my way to a passing grade, and walked into class sounding smart enough that nobody asked questions. I was 17. I drove a car I didn’t pay for to a school full of other kids whose parents had also paid for their cars. I’d smoke weed before class, between class, and after class to numb whatever small…
My friend Denise has been offering classes on the Dharma. I’ve been attending. For anyone who doesn’t know, the Dharma is the teachings of the Buddha. A topic that came up in a recent lecture is the five hindrances to awakening. They are the inner qualities that make calm and clarity difficult: Sense Desire Aversion and Ill-Will Restlessness and Worry Sloth and Torpor Doubt I sat with each of them…
French philosopher Michel de Montaign wrote in his Essays that "A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.” I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Not in the abstract, philosophical way you think about quotes you see on Instagram. In the way where you read something and it describes the exact shape of the hole you’ve been standing in without realizing it. Most of the…
These two verbs are often presented as diametric opposites. I’ve found that as you grow to be an adult, they are really two sides of the same coin. They’re both important to progressing towards a more authentic version of yourself. I believe, as parents, there’s a natural inclination towards communicating things with your child that you find worthy of remembering. The image of a father grasping…
Franz Kafka wrote “A Hunger Artist” in 1924. It follows a fasting artist who starves himself as a public spectacle. The story begins at the height of his fame, crowds pressing against the cage to watch a man not eat. Slowly, the public loses interest. The spectacle becomes old news. His final act is in a cage at the circus, tucked next to the animal exhibits, where he pushes himself to new…
This past weekend, my girlfriend’s niece and nephew stayed with us to celebrate their birthdays. Both are March babies. Her nephew turned thirteen. He comes from a home environment that I’d describe as challenging and inconsistent. Spending two days with him hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting. There’s a particular look a kid gets when they’re not sure if the ground beneath them is stable. You can…