Musings
Jumping Over The Lines
About nine years ago, a neighbor and I painted a labyrinth in the cul-de-sac in front of my house. Our labyrinth is a 54 foot diameter replica of the eleven circuit labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France. During this COVID-19 shelter-in-place we decided to repaint the labyrinth, and over the course of several evenings we were able to get…
Read MoreBeing Squeezed
I am not ashamed to tell you I watched some weird TV shows this past weekend. I was exhausted from the last few weeks. We are facing so many struggles individually and as a company, and I needed a break, a distraction from the difficulties. I found a series called “Classic Albums” about how different…
Read MoreShiny Things
“Life is about perspective and how you look at something… ultimately, you have to zoom out.” – Whitney Wolfe Herd I have a friend who finds great enjoyment and some amount of solace in having something to look forward to. It doesn’t really matter what it is, as long as it is in the reasonably…
Read MoreParadise
When she was just a girlShe expected the worldBut it flew away from her reachAnd the bullets catch in her teethSo, lying underneath those stormy skiesShe’d say, “I know the sun must set to rise”This could be paradise. Coldplay, “Paradise” This was the oddest Easter I have ever experienced. For one, this was the first…
Read MoreUnpack Your Adjectives
In March of 1974, the Schoolhouse Rock episode “Unpack Your Adjectives” aired for the first time. Schoolhouse Rock originally ran from 1973 to 1984. I saw all the episodes many times, and I can still sing most of the songs. The adjective song helped children understand how to verbally describe what things are like instead…
Read MoreCruel To Be Kind
In 1979, Nick Lowe released “Cruel To Be Kind” which peaked at #12 on the US charts that summer. The video for the song was played on MTV on the first day of broadcasting and was shot during Nick and Carlene Carter’s wedding (shooting the video actually made him late for the wedding.) The refrain…
Read MoreRidin’ The Storm Out
REO Speedwagon is a 70’s rock quintet named after a light motor truck introduced in 1915 by the REO Motor Car Company. The REO Speedwagon (the truck) served as delivery, tow, dump, and fire trucks, as well as hearses and ambulances. REO Speedwagon (the band) was founded by Neal Allan Doughty who, like the founder…
Read MoreNothing To Fear But Fear Itself (And Spiders)
I designed a shirt once that said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself…and spiders.” You can see the design here. The shirt would be gray with black and red print. The ‘l’ in ‘itself’ extends down as the web and ends in a black widow spider. There is another spider on the back, left…
Read MoreIllusion Of Control
I was recently in an office building downtown. When I arrived at the elevators, there was another person waiting, and the call button for “up” was already lit. In a few moments, a third person approached the elevator and forcibly mashed the already lit “up” button. Moments later, a fourth person arrived, and the already…
Read MoreExcellence Of Every Kind
When Hercules was a fair-faced youth with his life before him, he went out one morning on an errand. As he walked, his heart was full of bitter thoughts because others no better than himself were living in ease and pleasure, while his life was full of labor and pain. He came to a place…
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