Habari gani, fam? 2020 has made me keenly aware of my place within my community, and how important my relationships are to me. When George Floyd was murdered by police officers and the collective frustration of millions of Americans bubbled over into street protests, it meant a lot that folks checked in on me because … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2020: Ujima
Tag: compassion
(Personal) Thoughts From a 38 Year Old
Today is my birthday. It is also the anniversary of the first time atomic weapons were ever used in war, when Hiroshima was bombed on this date in 1945. I'm fascinated by this face, and I like to tell people whenever I talk about my birthday. I used to think I did this because it … Continue reading (Personal) Thoughts From a 38 Year Old
(Self-Improvement) In Praise of Mistakes
Mistakes are a fundamental part of the human condition -- almost as much as our fear of making them. Because of the way we're designed and the reality we live in, we're imperfect creatures limited by our experience, perspective and the momentum of habit. It's natural that these things would push us to do something … Continue reading (Self-Improvement) In Praise of Mistakes
(Buddhism) Right Speech
So for a little while now I've wanted to go over the "spokes" in the wheel of the Noble Eightfold Path -- more for my own benefit than any pretense of instruction. One of the things that I'd like to get more serious about is my understanding of Buddhist ideas and how they relate to … Continue reading (Buddhism) Right Speech
Movie Review: Melancholia
Melancholia (2011) Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsborough and Kiefer Sutherland Written and Directed by Lars von Trier Lars von Trier is one of those directors with a distinct, uncompromising vision. You get the feeling when you see one of his movies that every shot is exactly the way he wanted it to look, and every … Continue reading Movie Review: Melancholia
My Story, My Government
I didn't fully understand the power of marriage until I married Ryan. I was there, in a rented tuxedo with him, declaring a lifelong commitment to this one amazing man in front of the people I have come to consider my family over the last several years. After spending most of my life thinking of … Continue reading My Story, My Government
Who I Am is What I Do
It's been tough to write about self-improvement these past few years, largely because I've moved out of the contemplative phase of it. Through a great deal of my 20s I was still figuring things out -- what it means to be a good person, the fundamental nature of humanity, how society works and how it … Continue reading Who I Am is What I Do
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 