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Where do we go from here?
Quietism -in this time of wrath and tears, the very word is seductive. It conjures up the possibility of finding peace and tranquillity -of ataraxy, a state of serene calmness. A place -within oneself, perhaps, where one might find an acceptance of life’s vicissitudes, not necessarily an escape from them. It involves passivity. Surrender… When…
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Timeo tenebris
There are some things of which we rarely speak; we did, at one time perhaps, but times have changed. Societal norms and cultural permissions have shifted; there are caveats, locked doors, and windows with blinds pulled down for our protection… or somebody’s protection -the people aren’t always named for fear that… for fear that what?…
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The Path to Grandma’s house
There are many under-appreciated people in our lives, don’t you think? People without whom we might live a very different existence, or inhabit an unfamiliar mind. And, especially, there are those who have not only affected us, but also those who care for us: our families. I never thought of my grandmother like that, but…
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What, what, what…?
Hear this now, O foolish people,Without understanding,Who have eyes and see not,And who have ears and hear not. Jeremiah I would not ordinarily open an essay with a biblical quote, but there can be wisdom in poetry, not to mention melody in sound. It may be hidden, unless it is pointed out -background only. A pentimento…
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Say not ‘I have found the truth’, but rather ‘I have found a truth’.
When I was young, I knew everything -and yet nothing, really. Things change; there is no fixed star, and when I look up with autumned eyes, even the world looks different now. But is it really? Is reality so different now from when I was a child, or does an invisible shroud already cloud my…
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Do I know you from somewhere?
I’ve never had many close friends, I’m afraid -just a lot of people I nod or wave at. And of those, most of them remain nameless even though I recognize them in their proper contexts. But, devoid of that, the majority remain enigmas that smile at me when I approach; I usually require more finite…
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The soul walks upon all paths
I suppose I’m coming to it rather late, but I’m beginning to realize I still have a lot to learn; there are some things that I should have figured out by now, others should have been evident from the start. Identity, I think, is one of the obvious ones. After all, who we are matters…
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Spero, ergo sum
I think there is often a lot going on that we would like to change but can’t, a lot that happens which we would rather ignore but don’t; and it’s difficult to know whether the appropriate response should be hope, despair, or… what, anger? Many of the larger problems that confront us are multifaceted, and…