You’re missed everyday.

I’d rather jump off a cliff into the black abyss of the future than be seduced by the siren song of nostalgia and crash on the immutable rocks of the past.

Sometimes I think age isn’t what kills us. The actual cause of death is the crushing weight of all the things we could have been.

Eyes front!

Lean into what you CAN do and what you CAN accomplish. Turn away from things you don’t have, and other unobtainable desires.

Make “looking ahead” your default.

Want the future, not the past.

The future is coming whether or not you’re watching for it. Best to be ready.

We all grow old or die trying.

The wind that blows from the sun across the earth scatters our ashes to the stars.

It’s said sleep is when we process what’s happened to us during the day.

And that death is like sleeping.

So death is when we process what’s happened to us during life.

Finiteness is the elephant in the room that makes life beautiful.

There is no light without darkness, good without evil, flowers without rain*, or life without death.

But knowing that doesn’t make it suck less.

*hat tip to @florecienteapparel on Insta for that one. You know who you are.

What a long, crappy winter to cap a long, horrible year. But spring is coming, I think, even though mounds of snow block parking and overnight temperatures still dip below 30°F.

My brother died last summer, my daughter moved 300 miles away in the fall, my other daughter had a cancer scare in the winter, I had Covid in January, my wife is chronically ill. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things.

The past year was awful in big and small ways for me, and for millions of people around the planet. The weight of it is tangible, crushing, like being buried under an avalanche.

But snow eventually melts, and yields to spring.

The separation of church and state is vital for fair governance, but equally important is the separation of culture and state.

Focus on government’s role: to serve the people and their needs, especially for needs that aren’t met by private industry because there’s no profit in it, like roadways and the delivery of basic needs like water and safe housing, and basic education systems, and healthcare, to name a few.

Government shouldn’t be focused on preserving culture – that’s the job of society at large, and museums, and restaurants, and individuals. Culture comes and goes, and it’s all very personal and emotional, but no one culture is better than another.

But the needs of people of all cultures are common. We all need food and education and safe harbor and healthcare systems and care systems for those who can’t care for themselves. These needs are common, blind to political boundaries.

A government should never say, “My country first!” Instead, it should be asking, “What do my people need?”

And the richest of countries? Assuming they are shouldering their responsibilities? Then they should ask “How can I help other countries?”