One of the central mottos of the radical movements of the 1960s was: Question authority. The Baby Boomer generation was coming of age, caught up in the culminating battles of the civil rights movement. They faced conscription into an unjust war in Vietnam, where reports of atrocities resounded louder every day. Increasingly, America’s young people were …
Do you enjoy visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles? It doesn’t matter. No one expects you to enjoy it. But you will show up if you want to drive a car or get a photo ID. The service may be lousy and the staff surly, but there’s really no alternative. You’ll take a number, stand in …
There’s a reason that all the most important American holidays are towards the end of the year. The light is growing dimmer, our skies are overcast, and the leaves are falling off the trees. Everything seems to conspire to make these days dreary and devoid of color. And we’re not even to winter yet. We need …
When I was in high school, my friends and I had a rock band. We played some original songs – with lyrics by yours truly – and a ton of Oasis covers. It was a lot of fun, and we probably weren’t bad compared to other garage bands our age group. Still, pretty much anyone could have guessed that we weren’t going …
Thanksgiving is a celebration of abundance. It is a time to give thanks for the harvest just brought in, the work of a whole year coming to fruition as we enter the holiday season. As winter arrives, we gather around the table with family and friends. We rejoice together in the warmth of our radiant homes. It …
I believe that climate change is real, and that it’s caused by humans burning fossil fuels and releasing carbon into the atmosphere. I believe, not because I am personally competent to prove it, but because I rely on the analysis of climate scientists who, by a 97% margin, agree that this is the case. I have faith …
Read more “What is Real Faith? Actually Doing What You Believe”
Isn’t that what being young is about, believing secretly that you would be the one person in the history of man that would live forever? – Vanilla Sky (2001) It’s not just the young who think they can cheat death. Most of the time, none of us dares to hold that stark reality before us. We live …
Read more “You’re Going to Die (And Why That’s a Good Thing)”