Guest post by Max I feel terrible for my human family. They seem so stressed out over so many things. They seem to rush around in the morning, change their fur, put on their paws and then rush out the door in their metal boxes that roll. They come home all stressed out and spend …
The Pursuit of Character
In our muddled political season of tweets and infomercials, we hear the word "character" a lot. Other times, character may not be directly mentioned in the conversation but it is clearly the thing that is being discussed, particularly with regard to the alleged dystopia of others. A candidate may be lauded for work ethic or …
Breakdown
Human antipathy and conflict are as old as the human race. However, it feels like we have entered a new era in America where we are increasingly unable or unwilling to see the humanity in one another. In the last month, we have seen mass murder in an Orlando night club, more African American men …
Fishing Around
Some anglers always fish for panfish. Others are dedicated bass chasers. There are those who only fish trout and only with a fly rod. In Minnesota, walleye are the state fish and some folks try exclusively for them whether they are biting or not. God bless them all. I'm an equal opportunity fisherman. If I …
Teenagers in Danger of Extinction
Life accelerates. Always. However, the human capacity for such acceleration does not keep pace with the time demands that ever increase. As modern life becomes more "convenient" and as we rapidly author our way through our days via electronic means, we seem to have lost our collective and individual ability to breathe, to reflect and …
The Thing About Fishing
The thing about fishing is that there is absolutely no way to do it incorrectly. It's human proof. That doesn't mean that a given angler might not catch fish on a given day. Sometimes boat motors don't start. Sometimes bait casters tangle into amazing bird's nests. Favorite lures can become lost in the toothy thrashing …
Cleaning House
Another box, full of seemingly mundane history. My mother saved her papers. All of them. If I forgot which birthday card I bought for her in 1998, I could relive the card-giving now. The process of cleaning out my mother's house went about as expected. I cleaned house once before when my father died. Both …
Map and Compass
"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it". Edmund Burke Edmund Burke, the great conservative thinker, believed that prudence is the first among virtues. He also said that we are dwarves on the shoulders of giants. Burke's conservatism was temperamental and not ideological. He was advising us that almost everything we face is …
Great Theology
I am very fortunate, I must confess. As far as I'm concerned, I've successfully removed any log from my own eye and, of course, kept it out of my eye continuously since. Therefore, I have free reign to remove specks from the eyes of others. How convenient. Thus, I turn to the four writers of …
Stubborn
I believe that just about every personality trait is inherently neutral. Most traits serve us well up to a point. Almost any aspect of our personalities can get us in trouble if taken too far. For instance, industrious can lead to getting a lot done and feeding a family. However, it can also lead to …
reflections of a flawed man 