I have some bones to pick that I simply can’t ignore anymore… If you read the history of conservatism it will include the Godfather of Conservatism in Edmund Burke. But when you actually read about the debate of conservatism in the late 1700s and early 1800s (Burke’s time), the arguments are less about maintaining life…
Author: jlw78
An avid seeker of knowledge and truth.
Voting In the Midterms 2022
With the midterm election just days away, maybe the largest conversation in this moment is about acceptance. I hesitate to say “freedom” rather than acceptance because that word has been co-opted by those who spout freedom in the same breath they are taking it away. A gun rights activist spouts “freedom to bear arms” whilst…
Stoic
My body is rigid, my smile painted on. It isn’t fake but forced a little, Eyes holding back a wave of emotion only reserved for private moments. I carry a sack of melancholy on my back, knowing I have disappointed some and not lived up to expectations of others. Those two things are different…. One…
My New Purpose
I have spent my entire life searching for my “purpose,” the reason I am here, the trajectory my life is supposed to take…as if it is somehow written in the stars and I just have to learn how to read the astrological patterns in the sky. Of course, I don’t actually believe this but I…
Identity In Today’s Landscape
Identity is a concept that needs further examination in today’s society. Our perceived identities drive so much of our behavior that it requires self-examination, a thoughtful dissection of why we might identify in certain ways, what those identities say about us, and how identity affects how we walk in the world. Identity is formed early…
The Other Dimension
Bright toothy smiles and glimmering eyes Fixed on a lens meant to capture happiness. Behind the photo, a renewed sense of purpose meant to push me into the next chapter. But…and there’s always a but… Residual pain felt from a previous slight That doesn’t fade so much as it pulses, Oscillating from strong to weak…
What Is Freedom?
The Star-Spangled Banner says the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” What does it really mean to be “free”? There are so many issues out there that challenge this notion. A hot topic right now is gun rights. Argument A says that we aren’t free unless we have the right to bear…
We Need Honest Conversations
We are missing honest conversations in this world: in relationships, in politics, and in our relationship with the spiritual realm. Most of us are too afraid to have honest conversations because it means we might have to change how we think or view the world. We might have to get uncomfortable and confront qualities or…
True Faith Is In Letting Go
Eventually you will realize that “The One” has been with you the whole time…it is your authentic self. You just had to dig deep to find her (or him). That person is the true love of your life…who will never let you down. We all want to find a compatible life partner, and it’s amazing…
The Lowest Point
Midnight blue, painfully quiet and alone, breath shallow, wailing sobs cut the night. A chasm has opened wide in my heart, And there’s an unspeakable sharp ache in my wrenched twisting gut, Where security, nostalgia, and hope used to reside. It had created a tepid home inside me, one with unstable floor boards and rickety…
This Is Me
This is me, from a childhood marked By freedom, love, and adventure sparked. This is me, running down the lane Through soot and dirt, trying not to complain. This is me, a good girl at heart, Playing the emblematic All-American girl part. This is me, fast forward to teenaged dreams, With waves of ups and…
The Easter Story As Allegory
Life is the balance between planning & building a hopeful future and non-attachment & letting go. Both have their place; the trick is knowing when each is appropriate. The answer lies in your ability to discern what truly serves and drives you versus what is holding you back or harming your progress. That is your…
Notes In the Margins 