On earnestness. I recently vowed to be even more earnest, as a sort of counterweight to the meanness and cynicism that can seem like our collective default mode. In doing so, I was aware that the cost would be that I’d sometimes feel foolish, trusting others who are not similarly earnest, and once in […]
If you scratch a cynic, you’ll find a disappointed idealist. – George Carlin This week I spent a lot of time explaining my work to other people – some interested, some puzzled, some skeptical. As my energy faded, I caught myself saying things like “it’s just common sense” or “it’s a […]
Be joyful though you have considered all the facts. – Wendell Berry I’ve been spending time lately in some circles where it’s cool to be cynical, clever to be critical. If you dare to raise a note of optimism in this crowd, you risk being branded a simpleton. Oblivious […]
Unintentionally, our last two posts were “faith” and “hope”. This seems to leave no choice but for today to be “love”. Yes, I have rolled my eyes at cheesy valentines, cringed at the still-standard question, “and what does your husband do?”, and too often confused warm-heartedness with soft-headedness. But as the world has gotten louder, and […]