In 1970, Sun Ra recorded “Myth Versus Reality.” It begins with the spoken words, “If you’re not a myth, whose reality are you? If you’re not a reality, whose myth are you?” What we call reality is entangled with stories – myths and legends – narratives that can illustrate deeper meanings than mere facts. The … Continue reading Myth and Reality →

Because this is the 90th post in the series, I want to take a few minutes to think about why I’m doing this. I’ve written elsewhere about some of my motivations, but it seems to me some might think I’m just being pretentious or trying to be something I’m not. I’ve never claimed to be … Continue reading Planting Seeds →

There was an unwritten rule in my college days. I’ll try to write it. A student may ask any pertinent question in class but may not ask about basic information from the assigned readings, unless there is a good reason to do so, such as to clarify an apparent contradiction or a difficult concept. During … Continue reading Just Asking Questions →

“Come with me if you want to live,” is a well-known line from the Terminator movies. Various characters say it to offer a way out of danger. The implications are clear: come with me or stay here and die. Of course, the characters being rescued want to live. If they didn’t, the story would be … Continue reading If You Want to Live →

In 1689, John Locke wrote “Two Treatises on Government.” His ideas informed the men who drafted the US Constitution. In the second treatise, Locke drew a distinction between liberty and license. It seems to me the founding fathers agreed that Locke was essentially correct – liberty does not mean we can do anything we desire. … Continue reading We Will Have Failed →

I’ve read and heard many complaints about Christians being “persecuted” in the US and I’ve been trying to understand what is behind these feelings. I haven’t noticed that Christians have been forbidden to meet, pray, read the Bible, or share their beliefs here. I’m not aware of Christians being imprisoned, tortured, or killed for their … Continue reading Salt and Light →

An editorial… Lately I’ve been thinking about self-control. And schools. And the doctrine of “in loco parentis” (in the place of parents). It seems to me we are missing a major point in the debate surrounding the Second Amendment. On one side we have some who want to ban and/or confiscate various types of firearms. … Continue reading Good Guys →

Many years ago, I read an article about how to stop students from plagiarizing. All colleges prohibit plagiarism, with various penalties. They say things like, “academic integrity matters, so do your own work, unless the assignment involves collaboration.” As I recall it, the author of the article validated my thinking, with several suggestions. His main … Continue reading Bans and Prohibitions →

My reaction to the horrific mass murder in Buffalo… A person I respect once asked me, “Religious people say they have faith, but when something contrary to that faith happens, then what?” Diagoras of Melos, a 5th Century BC Greek philosopher, warned that survivors should beware of attributing their salvation to the favor of the … Continue reading Wind-up Soldiers →

Thoughts on the importance of teachers. I once had a student in Jazz Ensemble I’ll call, Alice. Alice was in the “back row,” the trumpet section. Early in her Jazz Ensemble career, a few other students came to me to express their concerns about whether Alice ought to be part of the group. They said … Continue reading Alice →