Beauty and truth

A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness. —John Keats The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives. —Albert Einstein A few weeks back, while California was burning to the ... Continue reading

My secret life

We need to see that universal sickness, that innumerable throng of men and women laden down with their secrets, laden down with their fears, their sufferings, their sorrows, their disappointments, and their guilt. We need to understand how tragically alone they find themselves. They may take part in ... Continue reading

Liar, liar, pants on fire

Familiarity breeds contempt. How accurate that is. The reason we hold the truth in such respect is because we have so little opportunity to get familiar with it. —Mark Twain Hi. My name is Charlie, and I'm a recovering liar. (Group: "Hi, Charlie.")I started out like everyone does, just telling ... Continue reading

Herd spirituality

Bang! I'm wide awake. My fuzzy brain tries to identify the familiar sound. Bang! Bang! Our ferocious golden retriever opens one eye and growls. Bang! Bang! Bang! The dog is barking now. It's a Javelina attack!I turn on the porch light and spot them: a dozen muscular wild boars, circling and ... Continue reading