One of philosophy’s charms for me is the opportunity to think, as if for the first time, about the meaning of ideas essential to good living. What is good living? What is persistence? What is possibility? What is belonging? What is empathy? This constant reexamination widens our perspective and guards against our falling into the trap of stale assumptions and preconceptions. I can think of no idea that begs for rethinking more than the concept of success. What is it?
Read MoreMy friend and neighbor Blue O’Connell loves music, animals, nature (especially trees), and friends. A few years ago, she traded a job with financial benefits for one with other kinds of perks: writing and playing music at schools, nursing homes, hospitals, parties, just about any place. She patches jobs together to make ends meet. Recently Blue bought happiness for herself and for countless others by giving a valuable possession away.
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The beauty of human hands. Hearing is believing. His fingers and voice in flight, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham vows that he’s “Never Going Back Again.” Hey now, enough, he reiterates, “been down one time / been down two time.” Haven’t we been down one time, now two times, too? Want to find out what it means to win? “Yeahhhhhhhh.” Stevie Nicks blends her voice with Buckingham’s. Yeah.
hints that springtime nears
democracy calls our names
as we swim birds sing