Earlier this year I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and I'm still wrapping my brain around it. I never thought of myself as a particularly anxious person; sure, there were a lot of things that I had an outsized reaction against, but I always thought that was tied up with self-esteem issues or concentration … Continue reading (Personal) A Rabbit Thinks About Fear
Tag: self-reflection
Spillage
There's a Zen story that goes something like this: a Buddhist scholar comes to a Zen master and asks him for teaching. The scholar then proceeds to establish his credentials, talking about how long he's studied, the doctorate he's received, the professors he's associated with, the whole thing. The master listens while pouring the scholar … Continue reading Spillage
When I Talk About Bigotry
There's a big disconnect in our society when we talk about bigotry. I think a lot of people in privileged groups believe that bigotry means something like "active discrimination and disrespect of a minority group" or maybe "active/vocal hate directed towards every single member of a minority group". There are a lot of people out … Continue reading When I Talk About Bigotry
The Anxious Rabbit
One of the reasons I believe Rabbit is such a helpful totem for me is that fear is such a strong emotion within me. I'm afraid all the time, of various things real and imagined, and that fear drives a great deal of my behavior. One of the lessons Rabbit teaches is how to move … Continue reading The Anxious Rabbit
My 35th Year
Last Thursday I celebrated my 35th birthday. If I'm lucky, this puts me squarely in the territory of early middle age. That means that for the most part, I'm starting to have fewer days ahead of me than there are behind. It's a sobering thought, but not a depressing one. Unlike most I really don't … Continue reading My 35th Year
The End is the Most Frightening Part
By the time you read this I will have taken my very first behind-the-wheel driver’s test, with the hope of getting my license. Yes, I do realize that I’m pretty old to be getting my license for the first time, but that’s all right. I’m excited by the possibility of getting my license, buying a … Continue reading The End is the Most Frightening Part
Working in the Nooks and Crannies
There are still too many projects but not enough time, but I'm beginning to think this is just the way of things as you get older. There are always so many things you want to do, but for some reason there's just not enough time and/or energy to get to them. Right now I'm still … Continue reading Working in the Nooks and Crannies
Whatever Your Heart Can Handle
As an online rabbit, I know about the importance of running and cardiovascular exercise to my overall health. And I've been trying to develop a good running practice for a little over seven years now -- first by regular trips on the treadmill and then by carving out good routes around the burrow. As you … Continue reading Whatever Your Heart Can Handle
Pathfinding Problems
I'm in the relatively early stages of Book 2 of my Pathfinder campaign. So far, the group has uncovered the existence of a war between shadow cults that have been slowly but steadily engulfing the civilized world. After beating back the cult that plans to do the most damage and forming an uneasy alliance with … Continue reading Pathfinding Problems
What I Believe
Over the long weekend I watched two very different movies that touched on the same theme. One of them was a religious drama written and directed by Robert Duvall, a true passion project if ever I saw one. It was called The Apostle. The other was very much a product of its time -- a … Continue reading What I Believe