It’s easy to hate. Look around at the arrogance, deceit, corruption, and criminality you see every single day. Listen to the cretins on the radio. Read Tweets from obscenely wealthy celebrities who take your money and in return wish death on you because you don’t share their opinions. Growing up, I hated my father and…
Stand fast
October 8, 2013
“Stand fast!” was the war cry of Scottish troops. It means don’t give up. Don’t surrender. Be resolute. Be unyielding in your principles. The more I see people compromise their morals and standards, the more determined I am to stand fast. Someday I’ll write extensively about this period in my life. The temptation to give…
Gratitude illustrated
October 5, 2013
I talk a lot about gratitude being the key to how I achieved permanent happiness. What I mean is being grateful for even the smallest dollop of decency, beauty, kindness, love, friendship, fortune, accolade, and any other positivity I’ve left out. In 2000 I drove across the country to meet a young woman with whom…
No reason to be afraid
October 5, 2013
When I lived in Stavanger, one of my friends told me about two abandoned ocean liners moored on the island of Sølyst, near the city. You had to cross the Bybrua—a bridge—to get to them. I think this photo shows on the upper left where the liners were. That may even be them. Who knows?…
Romanian proverb
October 4, 2013
Sometimes we all feel a little Romanian. Here’s one of their proverbs: Protect me, Lord, from my friends. As for my enemies, I will take care of them myself. Once upon a time, in an abandoned Soviet embassy… Hard to believe that was almost thirty years ago. Some of my most indelible memories involve nocturnal…
I’m not evangelical
October 4, 2013
My purpose in writing is to banish my own crap and entertain you. But. Lots of people are in the same boat as me, problems-wise, so it makes sense for me to mention successes that may help fellow sufferers. Currently, there’s a backlash against psychotropic medication. What I hear lots of people say is that…
Reclaiming my past
October 2, 2013
I just found a letter I’d forgotten I wrote. It’s dated September 26, 1996. I never sent it. Here’s part. * * * I’ve been dividing my time between writing, seeing a shrink (my head’s the size of a grapefruit now), and working on my great-aunt’s house next door. It’s a very Wictoresque venture so…