We spend much of our lives in the prison house of our anger and resentment. It’s easy to feel wronged and hurt. It’s easy to begin to despise the one who hurt or wronged you, to obsess about the person, to fantasize about getting even. We really do have to ask ourselves where this comes …
Category Archives: Creative Writing
Life-Love 53: A country drive
There are few more pleasant moments than a weekend cruise through the countryside. After lunch or brunch, it’s a pleasure to get into the car and spend a lovely hour (or two) of motoring down twisting and winding country roads, watch the light change as the sun moves through the sky, the trees flash by …
Life-Love 52: Learning to love
We are taught so many confusing things about love, most of which feel pretty unloving, really. We are told that love is really an offshoot of lust – that the bodily attraction we naturally feel to someone else when we’re under the influence of the right mix of pheromones and alcohol is the basis for …
Life-Love 51: Finding beauty in order
We live in a society that shuns the concept of order and orderly living. We run away from commitment. We shy away from authority, cringing sarcastically – sometimes cynically – at the idea of morality or self-discipline. We shun tradition and belief. We are told to live every day as if it were our last. …
Life-Love 50: When a friend tells you the truth about yourself
Most people will usually simply let you be. They aren’t invested in your life and don’t really care about whether you’re happy, growing or, for that matter, making a mess of things. I was walking in light rain on a unseasonably warm night on New Year’s Day in 2011 when it occurred to me that …
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Life-Love 49: Helping a friend in need
There are moments in life when we set aside what we are doing and do everything we can to help a friend. It doesn’t matter how important what you’re working on is, or how much you really want to do something – like play a game, or watch something on televsion, or even just relax …
Life-Love 48: Starting a crackling fire
There is nothing more comforting than a crackling fire. In the depths of its flames, you can see flickering images that set your mind drifting back through time, to memories and relaxing moments. You always start with a cold room. The air might be a little damp, clammy against your skin. The metal of the …
Life-Love 46: Realising freedom is enjoying a moment of peace.
We all chase freedom, whether it is personal, social, cultural or economic – our culture encourages us to try and be individuals and come to an ever-better understanding of ourselves. This is a good thing, it frees us from the potential prison of the culture of our forebears and it enables us to explore new …
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Life-Love 45: Finding haven in family and friendship.
Some may say that I am ill-placed to discuss family matters, given that I am still a bachelor at 36 years of age, but I do experience the joys of family life through my relationship with parents, cousins and through the stories that my students and friends tell me. Professional life can move very quickly. …
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Life-Love 44: Saying good-bye to a good class
This is a bittersweet life-love. There are few things in the world that are as poignant as saying good-bye to people with whom you’ve worked closely for a good stretch of time. As a university professor, for me this often means the last day of class. I have felt this in office or community projects, …
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