My 2022 birthday thoughts in less than 1000 words. It seems to me “the best years of my life” were not in high school but were when our kids were little. I admit I often didn’t think so then. When we’re starting out, we don’t tend to think in terms of future nostalgia. We just … Continue reading Birthday 67 →

“It’s a preposterous story,” my friend stated. “What is?” I asked. “The Christmas story.” “How so?” “The same way fairy tales, action-adventures, and science fiction require you to suspend disbelief.” “So, you think the Christmas story is unbelievable?” “In a word, yes. Think about it. A generations-old prophecy. A perilous journey. No room in the … Continue reading A Christmas Meditation →

“It is a bitter thought, but you must face it. The planets you may one day possess. But the stars are not for man.” – Karellen, the Overlord, in "Childhood’s End" by Arthur C. Clarke I grew up watching “Star Trek.” To use a cliché from the original series, I was fascinated by the prospect … Continue reading To the Stars →

An intern once asked a CEO, “How did you learn to make such good decisions?” “Experience,” the CEO answered. “But how did you get experience?” “Bad decisions.” Our decisions make us who we are, for better or worse. Even so, a lot of life is beyond our control. It seems to me, no matter what … Continue reading Gratitude →

When I first started playing the trumpet, I misunderstood a few things. For example, I thought I was supposed to tongue between my lips – which sounds like thoo – so my attacks were fuzzy, and my tone wasn’t very good. I had to unlearn this bad habit, and many others, to become a better … Continue reading Change →

In one of my favorite scenes from “A Man for All Seasons,” by Robert Bolt, Thomas More’s relatives try to convince him to have Richard Rich arrested. “Alice More: Arrest him! Thomas More: Why, what has he done? Margaret More: He's bad! Thomas More: There is no law against that. Will Roper: There is! God's … Continue reading Justice →

“Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked. Apparently, the teacher thought what his disciples personally believed was more important than what other people said. There is a difference between simply repeating what the crowd said and learning what Peter and the rest had come to understand. The first represents the “cognitive ease” bias, in … Continue reading Parrots →

I’ve watched season one of “The Squid Game.” Besides providing a new understanding of what it means to be “eliminated,” the story challenged my perspective. For a long time, I’ve heard life described as a game. An old board game, “The Game of Life,” and recent computer games simulate various aspects of life. And the … Continue reading The Game →

“The slenderest knowledge that may be obtained of the highest things is more desirable than the most certain knowledge obtained of lesser things.” - Thomas Aquinas An acquaintance once told me, “everything in life is a metaphor.” While I wouldn’t go that far, it seems to me it would be a mistake to take everything … Continue reading Stories →

A Brief History of Lying In the beginning, there was a cover-up: “the man and his wife hid themselves…” (Genesis 3:8) Then blame was shifted: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit...The serpent deceived me…” (Genesis 8:12-13) After a time, there was a plea of ignorance: “I do not … Continue reading Lying →