In declaring our independence from jolly old England several centuries back, the founding folk made a bold statement in the first sentence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” Little did they realize how sensitive truth would become in our day and time. While George Washington’s never-tell-a-lie cherry tree incident might have gotten him elected, alternate political strategies have emerged in which white lies get the job done. It’s hidden in plain sight, and it’s as obvious as the nose on Pinocchio’s face. Underneath such an assumption was that some truths were more evident than others. While all men might have been created equal, it was understood that some […]
Pursuit of Mediocrity
Spring. And for this young man sitting in a ninth grade English class, my fancy was heading off in many directions other than the pursuit of academic truth. The last class of the afternoon would soon be over, and we would all tear out of those halls of learning for whatever sport the day would bring. “Dudley,” Mrs. Hart called, “would you read ‘Thanatopsis’ for the class.” Shifting gears to the reality at hand, I stood at my desk and slowly began reading those dreadful words by William Cullen Bryant about dying. The poem seemed a mile long, but I […]
Unwed Fathers
Back in the day, there used to be homes for unwed mothers. They were the results of a enigmatic condition called an unwanted pregnancy which always seemed the result of an accident. Back in those same days, teen pregnancy was considered a terrible sin of sorts which led half of the perpetrators to leave town for a while until the delivery was done. The unwed father was simply left alone and disgraced. I remember vividly in my first parish when a sixteen-year-old was “sent away” to the nearest Florence Crittenton when […]
Looking Glass
In Lewis Carol’s sequel to Alice in Wonderland, the Walrus speaks quite eloquently to the Carpenter: “The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things: of shoes – and ships – and sealing wax – of cabbages – and kings – and why the sea is boiling hot – and whether pigs have wings.” Though not the most profound paragraph in English lit, this little vignette has always been a favorite. In that topsy-turvy world on the other side of that looking glass things appear to be wicky-wacky if not catawampus. Like stumbling over stardust, you never […]
esse quam videri
To look at her one would jump to the conclusion that all was well in her world. That she had her act together. That she was a smooth operator. A person for all seasons. But beneath the outward appearance, and not necessarily deep down but just below the surface there was this frenzy of insecurity and this fear of failure. She knew how to look like humanity personified, but the constant struggle she faced was to half-way meet the projected image on the screen of her existence. To do that meant to be on guard, constantly striving to be more […]