Musings of a Middle Aged Man

For the longest time growing up, I wanted to be like my hero, Mr. Spock, and develop the ability to eschew all emotion for the intellectual comfort associated with pure logic. I viewed emotion as weakness, a hindrance to being a pure intellect which I viewed as the highest order attainable for a human being...

I've recently discovered a TV series called 'Startrek: Brave New Worlds.' As an aficionado of the original series, I was more than a bit skeptical it would be worth watching considering there has never been another serialized version to have piqued my interest drawing me in for more than a single episode.

I was sitting at a dinner table immediately following a, thankfully, secular wedding when the conversation turned toward politics. I forget the actual prompting, but I responded that I am an American by accident of birth and prefer to identify myself as a human being of the world...

Lately, I've been rewatching for probably the third time since my twenties the splendid teachings of Joseph Campbell. In his day, he was the preeminent scholar on world religions past and present. And, I would say, few, if any, surpass his knowledge some 35 years after his passing. I've read many of Campbell's books and listened deeply to an array of his lectures since learning of him...

I spend part of most mornings creating what can loosely be defined as art. I express this in either the written word or images painstakingly layered upon canvas with colors....

There is debate in the scientific community regarding whether or not fish feel pain. The don't feel side claims fish lack the sufficient density of the appropriate nerve fibers to experience pain. The belief is rationalized as the biology of fish being far too simple...

It is extremely arrogant to extol any one way of living as better than all others or claiming any one culture is better than any other. We may not be comfortable living in a different country or even a different region in our own country. However, our personal comfort is not a valid litmus test

Viewing the creative act as a journey rather than a destination frees the soul to fly unencumbered. Who doesn't need a soul with wings to carry us into our future unburdened?

One stick of Amber scented incense down and my soul finally feels sufficiently cleansed to begin writing. The topic, however, remains fixed in my head hiding in the dark recesses leary exposure to light will turn it to ash like a vampire kissed by a dawn sun.

The best child rearing practice instituted by my mom and dad was to invest the time necessary to figure out who each of us six kids were as uniquely individuals then tailoring their raising to each of us helping us become the best version of ourselves. I always thought this was a universally applied best parenting practice until

Of all the Earthly landscapes, from high rising mountains to grass covered tundras to blue oceans, I feel the most kinship with desolate deserts, sparse landscapes stripped of all but the essentials.

There have been a few laws enacted by recent conservative administrations that were not thought through to their possible consequences resulting in them biting the lawmakers in their proverbial asses when those laws were turned against them.

I have struggled most of my life centering on a personal philosophy integrating my physical and spiritual into a cohesive whole. I have danced with monotheism, polytheism, no-theism experiencing moments of wonder-ism before seeing fully and returning to confusion-ism wrapped tightly around nothing-ism.

There exists cultures wherein, when a person dies, their name is stricken from the language. This drastic culling is based on the belief that speaking the name would disturb their spirit and cause harm to the living.

The US has been at war for more than 500 years between two factions. One that wholeheartedly believes land is imbued with a soul and the other side believing just as strongly the land is soulless.

Without a Nation

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://davidaolson.wordpress.com/2023/02/11/thoughts-dreams/

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://davidaolson.wordpress.com/2023/02/04/art-defeats-shitstorms/

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://davidaolson.wordpress.com/2023/01/28/heros-zen-bliss/

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://davidaolson.wordpress.com/2023/01/21/sweetly-scented-sage/

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://davidaolson.wordpress.com/2023/01/14/moon-tears/

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://davidaolson.wordpress.com/2023/01/07/understanding-requires-connection/

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://davidaolson.wordpress.com/2022/12/31/smokewater/

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://davidaolson.wordpress.com/2022/12/24/sensous-smoke/

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://davidaolson.wordpress.com/2022/12/17/all-that-exists-is-now/