Essays

Since “Independence Day” just passed, I thought I’d offer up aspects of that story that we sometimes forget in all the celebratory activity.

When a business wants to show that they’ve been around awhile they, quite naturally, display how long they’ve been established. You’ve seen the signage… Est. 1897… Est. 1974… whatever the number is that will give the business some heft. And, of course, the date chosen is the very earliest they could possibly make the claim. Longevity …

I hope we can agree on one thing: Everything goes in cycles. Nothing lasts forever (okay…two things).

We’ve been on a 150 to 200 year increasingly rapid cycle of “progress” and now maybe we can settle down a little. Of course things can still feel productive. And I’m certainly not romanticizing the past. I’m thrilled about indoor plumbing etc…

But now we can actually see, hear and measure the impact of seeking tangible monetary gains over any kind of loss.

Relationships are being …

For many thousands of years, most of life was a mystery. Still today it can feel pretty mysterious walking on an unlit country road. We created many (many, many) stories to account for the things we didn’t understand. Unknown places were where the gods and scary things lived.

Season’s cycles were a mystery – and then we domesticated plants. Animals were a mystery – and then we domesticated animals. The stars and planets were a mystery – and then we charted the heavens. Having looked …