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The action of no action.
We’d been camping in the Laguna Mountains for a few days and had the place to ourselves. We had no internet and no cell coverage. Our days were lazy and we filled them with books, walks, and the occasional nap. Breaking the habit of connectivity is difficult and a thing probably best experienced only when Continue reading
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How best to think.
Cardiff, Ca I was walking the beach this morning when I heard a woman talking behind me. Her voice grew increasingly loud and strained. I turned and saw a runner. She was having a conversation on her phone. A few minutes later another runner passed me. I could hear music leaking from his ear buds. Continue reading
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Merry Christmas, Friends
There was a surprising number of people at the trailhead this Christmas morning. Some of them wished me a Merry Christmas, which I returned. A few simply nodded and smiled. It was a beautiful morning, crisp and clear. Yesterday’s rain in the valley dropped as snow in the Catalina’s in front of me. These are Continue reading
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“All that is solid melts into air.”
Last Tuesday, three days after my 61st birthday, I was thigh-high in the Blue, just outside Silverthorne, Colorado. The water was cold, in the low fifties. The air was about the same. I had been fishing the bend in the river for an hour to no avail. I know there is a trough to the Continue reading
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Waiting for my work to begin.
It is reported that the last words of John Stuart Mill were, “My work is done.” I have a minor obsession regarding last words. Perhaps, if there is to be a summary of one’s life, it is best captured in the last words, assuming the dying is cogent and a degree of ambition still evident. As Continue reading
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“You will think of old men.”
It is commonly accepted that one should strive to “live in the now,” to “be present.” I don’t dispute this wisdom. There is a great deal of distraction in life and given enough rein, distraction will eventually snuff out the vibrancy that is life itself. Memories, it seems to me, are often put into the Continue reading
About doug
You might say that I’m philosopher in the classical sense, that is, “One who loves knowledge.” That sounds awfully pretentious, but I don’t know how else to put it. I’ve spent my life chasing questions, diving into wisdom traditions ancient and modern, including the philosophical schools of Existentialism, Pragmatism, and the ancient Greeks, as well as several of the Eastern traditions, principally Zen Buddhism and Taoism. Admittedly, I’m no expert on anything, just a curious pilgrim.
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Doug’s writings elsewhere:
...the house I live in... 