Ant or Grasshopper – How We Spend our Time

I recently gave a short presentation on how we choose to spend our time, our life – planning for the future versus living more in the moment. The old ant and grasshopper parable came to mind. Are you more like the hard-working ant who struggled all summer storing food for the winter, or more like the carefree grasshopper who hopped and chirped the summer away?

We often hear about how we aren’t saving enough, whether that’s for emergencies or for retirement. Not to mention how nearly impossible it is to do that with most incomes not keeping up with costs, among other financial challenges. While I certainly don’t want to minimize any of that, I’m choosing here to focus more on the psychological side of things.

What are we saving for in terms of wants and desires? What are we expecting of the the future? And what are we giving up to get there? What if next week the ant and the grasshopper both have massive insect coronaries and die? Who will have had the better life? Would it be easier to save for the future if that future were guaranteed? Continue reading

Spring Cleaning for the Soul

More thoughtlessly abandoned couches and old entertainment units. More fragrant flowers amid baby blades of grass. More birds chirping in that distinctly fresh and vital way. Springtime. Whether it’s the cleared-out overaccumulations of stuff, both literal and figurative, or all the sensory reminders of the universe renewing itself, spring feels… Continue reading

Life's Attic is Now Available!

I am very pleased to announce that Life’s Attic has now been released. Yay! Please visit the Life’s Attic page of this site for full details, including how to get an autographed copy. Gee, that sounds so immodest and weird to say, but it is a request I received from… Continue reading

Titanic Controversy Set Aside for New Expedition

The Titanic has long been the subject of controversy. From the myriad of mistakes and circumstances that tragically came together April 14, 1912 to the inadequate loading of lifeboats in the very early morning hours of April 15, 1912. From the different hearings and results into the disaster to speculation… Continue reading

‘My Space’ Cardboard Playhouse & Cardboard Memories

Remember when a giant cardboard box was a magical playhouse? When folding box tops became windows or doors, and sheets over furniture extended your own little cardboard domain? In this electronic gadget and computer world, one may wonder how much this manual form of play and imagination still goes on.… Continue reading

Printer Use According to Marcus the Cat

One of the great things about kids and animals are there automatic and uninhibited reactions to things. I think that’s one of the reasons we love watching animals and little kids enjoy the world. And hopefully it’s not just vicariously enjoying their silly fun, but making it our own as… Continue reading

Comprehensive Coverage by CNN on 'Toxic America'

There was a very interesting program on CNN the other night that I found very refreshing. Their coverage of ‘Toxic America’ as they called it, was very extensive and offered hopeful alternatives as well as the scary chemical facts. It’s not often that I agree with so much of mainstream… Continue reading

Surfing Dolphins at Play

I just saw a clip of the 2003 BBC “Wildlife on One” episode Dolphins: Deep Thinkers, narrated by David Attenborough. It’s a video of dolphins living where they should be. Swimming and surfing freely in the wide open oceans. Whenever we have the privilege of seeing wild animals in their… Continue reading

Goats Save Turtle Habitat in Maryland

In the mood for a feel good news story? This one has a happy ending for all concerned parties – animals, including human ones, government, and the environment. It started out like any other normal highway bypass project. But highway officials in the state of Maryland made a wonderful discovery… Continue reading

Writer’s Block and Not

In addition to this blog, I’ve been doing some other writing lately. Working on a project that is in a new format for me, but one I’m really enjoying as well. And writer’s block has periodically reared its odd little head. Fortunately it’s not been for long. But it reminds… Continue reading