Maria Popova’s post this Sunday talks about often asked questions posed to Steven Hawking during his lifetime, which Hawking attempts to answer in his final book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions. The book begins with the question is there a God? Hawking concludes with his answer to the universal question: “It’s my view that…
Month: July 2019
Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without
Thrifty, practical, resourceful, restrained. Maybe old-fashioned, but still good qualities, no matter where you’re from. — Robin McCoy My friend, Robin, writes a weekly blog where she gives practical advise about decluttering, not being wasteful, and lots of good practical advise. Her blog is called Robin’s Rules of Order. This week’s post tells us that…
Trees — The Wisest of Teachers
This weekend we were driving the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Pisgah National Forest. At one of the many overlooks, I saw thousands of acres of trees. I mean thousands. Green as far as my eyes could see, and I thought to myself, how wonderful. People had the foresight to preserve this forest not just…
Thou Shall Not Covet
Thou shall not covet. — Exodus 20:17. Too often we measure out happiness not by what we possess, but by what other’s possess. Much of unhappiness is a result of being comparative. The tenth commandment often gets short shrift compared to murder, etc. but coveting one’s neighbor probably brings on more misery than all the other…
Who Was Ever Satisfied?
Who was ever satisfied, after attainment, with that which loomed up large as he prayed for it? — Seneca, Epistles. Getting what we desire seldom produces the satisfaction we imagined. We want more. It is as if our appetite is never filled. After my surgery I was always thirsty. I was inhaling fluids only to discover that…