When Traffic Makes You Cry Tears of Joy
Today I saw a backed up line of cars and choked up a little bit. Now normally I hate traffic, I hate commuting, and I hate most of what they portend for my drive and for the place I live […]
Reviewing Life Through the Camera Roll
I hope you take lots of pictures. The payoff is sort of like compound interest – it grows with time, and it comes years later. Taking pictures gets a bad rap these days, and it’s probably earned. People are obsessed […]
Make Good Memories Like It’s Your Job
The future is uncertain, but what is done well is done well. I’ll always have the Christmases with my grandparents, the movie nights with my father, the books read with my mother, the balls thrown to my dog, and the […]
Why I Like Working Next to a Construction Site
Have you ever had to go to work next to a construction site? If you’re like most people, you’re happy when it’s over. The end of a construction project means the end of congested roads, loud equipment noises, and the […]
A Lesson from My Grandmother’s Frugal (and Generous) Life
I’ve put together this tribute from the notes for and my best recollection of the the eulogy I spoke at my grandmother Ruth McMinn McIntyre Shull’s memorial service in July 2019. The eulogy given differed in a few small respects […]
Orient Yourself on the Tail End of Time
I’ve been visiting my hometown and staying on my family’s farm for these past few days, so I’ve had lots of time to think about family. We’re all getting older now, but the time spent making some visits and flipping through photo […]
My Favorite Collected Wise/Inspirational Sayings (from Other People)
Some words just have a magical quality. “To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That’s what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul – would you understand why […]
Your Story Makes Things Lovable
Nostalgia is a strange thing: it makes us fond of some stupid, awkward, and ugly things. Tonight, for instance, I was listening to some cheesy country songs from the 90s and early 00s. By many objective standards I should dislike this […]
Be the Euphoria You Want To See In the World
As part of my Charity:Water campaign, I’m writing blog posts for people who contribute $25 or more to bring clean water to 23 people. You have a word/topic/question you want me to riff on? I’ll (probably) write it. One donor asked […]
Living In (All) the Moment(s)
As part of my Charity:Water campaign, I’m writing blog posts for people who contribute $25 or more to bring clean water to 23 people. You have a word/topic/question you want me to riff on? I’ll (probably) write it. One donor asked […]
Remember To Put Yourself In the Right Story Stage
“Shouldn’t I be better at this?” If you’re like me, this is a question you ask a lot when you try new skills or uncommonly-used skills. You wonder if you’re as far along as you should be, and if a […]
What If I Become Evil?
“You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” – Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight What if I become evil? This is a great tragedy: to go through life struggling for the good only to become […]
Quarter-Life Crises Are Good For You
“So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” – Psalm 90:12 I’m about to turn 23, and I’m feeling the pinch of time. It really does pick up speed. By 23, I expected I […]
Accept the Fractured World
The world comes with fractures. And it’s hard for people like me to reckon with that. I tend to think that it’s a fluke when I don’t like someone, or when there’s division. I’m typically surprised when I get into a real conflict with […]
Coming Home to the Office
“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for […]
In Praise of Vests
Vests are the quiet heroes of the male wardrobe. Shoes and jackets may get all the attention, but a good vest goes a long way toward style and functionality for men. Functionally? Vests keep your torso warm while freeing your […]
The Deer Hunter’s Experience of Time
My father and I climbed into a tower overlooking our farm tonight and sat waiting for deer to appear. And like any good hunters, we waited. My father is probably the hardest-working person I know, and he’s trained me to work hard, too. […]
Desk Photos, Work-Life Separation, and Character
I’m undertaking a new writing challenge: write one post a day for as many days as possible based on things at my desk. This is day 5 of that challenge. By my desk at work I have a string of […]
Cheap Google Sunglasses, Over the Top Startup Bro, and Leaning Into Tech Stereotypes
I’m undertaking a new writing challenge: write one post a day for as many days as possible based on things at my desk. This is day 2 of that challenge. Hanging up by my desk at work you’ll find a […]
If You Like Someone, Don’t Make Excuses for Them
One of the most disrespectful things you can do to a person is not to blame them, but to make excuses for them. At their deepest level, most people desire self-realization, which requires responsibility, which implies capability. At the same […]
No One Is Coming to Forgive You
“No one is coming to save you.” In Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, Nathaniel Branden penned this line to remind his readers of their self-responsibility. While many of us imagine that we’ll be swept away from our miseries and weaknesses by some […]
10 Things You’ll Experience In a Summer Job at a Hardware Store
I cut my teeth as a young employee in part by working in a hardware store back in the summer of 2014. Hardware stores are magical places, and they’re perfect places to be if you want to learn about home maintenance […]
Notes From My First (Official) 5K Run
After running an unofficial 5K last weekend, I decided to build on my momentum by joining a couple of friends for what became my first official 5K – the Atlanta Westside Beltline 5K. We ran this morning, and it was a blast. The whole […]
You Are Someone’s Stereotype
I realized recently that I am a stereotypical native of Charleston, South Carolina. Yes, unfortunately it’s true. I wear boat shoes and occasionally even what might be described as “preppy” clothing (it’s unintentional, I assure you). I sail boats. I […]
How To Have the “Best Years of Your Life” (Again): A Theory
Last night I watched a fun + inspiring (if unextraordinary) film called Being Awesome, about two high school students who reconnect after their high school reunion and form a mutual pledge to overcome their decade (or decade plus) of failure. […]
A Running List of the Wildly Random Things I Have Written About (and Why)
I wrote a blog post about laundromats last night. If I hadn’t written lots of posts about apparently random things, I might be more concerned. This blog has never been a single-topic affair. But it has ranged far afield into […]
Reasons to Fall In Love with Laundromats
My dryer broke at an inconvenient time this week – in the middle of a conference and on the eve of out-of-state travel. To top it all off, I was stuck with a pile of washed but definitely-not-dry laundry to address. I’ve always […]
Your Own Personal Normandy Invasion
I’ve been thinking a lot today about the young people of the Allied liberation of France, which started 74 years ago today with the invasion of Normandy. Many of them were several years younger than I am now, but they […]
My Inner 10 Year-Old and Personalities of Other Ages
It’s a fun thought experiment to break down your personality and likes/dislikes into “ages”. I often find myself acting with the priorities and characteristics I might normally associate to a young boy, or to a grandfather. Humans are complicated. But why not enjoy the […]
“Earn This”: Saving Private Ryan and the Transformative Power of Gratitude
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t seen the movie Saving Private Ryan, be warned that I’m about to reveal the ending. In Saving Private Ryan, a squad of Army Rangers led by Captain John Miller (played by Tom Hanks) sets off deep into […]