If you don’t use Reddit, you should. Reddit.com is a magical place — a place to laugh, to gaze, to learn, to share, and to converse. For those who are unaware, Reddit is a social news and entertainment website where users (known as Redditors) submit content in the form of a link or text. Other [...]
Appreciation
When was the last time you went outdoors purely for enjoyment? If you’re like the majority of Americans, it’s probably been a coon’s age. “So what?” you might think. “I can watch Planet Earth on Blu-ray. It isn’t your business, anyway.” No, it certainly isn’t, but please don’t get defensive, friend. My intention here is [...]
David Foster Wallace is one of my personal heroes. Maybe you’ve never heard of him. Wallace (or DFW) was a novelist, essayist, short story writer, and arguably one of the most notable geniuses of the past few decades. Time magazine cited his novel, “Infinite Jest”, as one of the top 100 novels from 1923 – 2005. [...]
I broke my neck in a skiing accident last week, and it was both an awful and profound experience. I was in beautiful Crested Butte, CO, spending a few days on the slopes, coasting about without a care in the world. It was delightful while it lasted. Unbeknownst to me, a near-death experience was waiting [...]
This world contains a colossal amount of scary, evil nastiness. Helpless children are gunned down with increasing regularity in our schools. Real, honest people face constant discrimination because of the color of their skin pigment. Innocent civilians are murdered daily because of wars over whose God knows best. Dedicated life partners are denied marriage because of a natural [...]
As humans, we’re hardwired to crave praise and acceptance from those around us. This is why the majority of us are endlessly bent upon imitating one another. We have this innate drive to be accepted by our fellow man, so we conform to the image of ourselves we feel will be greeted most receptively by [...]
Today, we sculpt roast turkey and nestle helpings of mashed potatoes between creamed corn and butternut squash. We loosen our belts a notch or two to make room for a second sliver of pumpkin pie. This extraordinary day is Thanksgiving, an iconic holiday which stirs up images of wafting, tantalizing scents and colorful, mouth-watering comfort [...]
I used to be jealous. Back in high school, I wasn’t the most “popular” kid. I wasn’t hated by all or anything, but I hovered around the bubble between being “cool” or not. I let it bother me. I wanted to be taller, more athletic, and better-looking. I never despised myself, but I often let jealousy [...]