I suspect that Father’s Day was ultimately a creation of greeting card companies who, having had such great success with Mother’s Day, saw a further opportunity to cash in. Cynicism aside, though, it has always afforded me the opportunity to reflect on the fathers in my life and their contribution, for good or ill, in …
Author Archives: desertvessel
Heads They Win, Tails We Lose
I should be good, I try to be, but then I know I fail For all my efforts, good or bad, the mirror tells the tale My skin is black, no matter what, and so it is I’m fated To be reviled, subservient, and if I disagree I’m hated. But Martin’s dream, that one fine …
I’ll Tell You Later…
When I worked in the California courts we had a much beloved Spanish language interpreter. Her job was to assist Spanish speaking defendants and witnesses in court proceedings so that they could understand what was happening and make an informed response. It was important that this occur in real time, otherwise they were left confused …
Embracing the Uncertainty of Outcomes
Mistakes. We all make them. Truth be told, we tend to excuse our own while condemning others. But, trying to look at mistakes objectively, what should be our reaction? Let’s look at an example of two similar mistakes: Emergency Dispatcher One: Phone call received regarding prowler outside citizen’s house. They dispatch police, but have accidentally …
Grace Junkies
Feeling down about yourself? Questioning past choices and actions? Do you seek out people or books that affirm you? Do you cut yourself off from people who don’t embrace you? Are you a grace junkie? I define the term as someone who wants grace, feels that they desperately need grace from others, and will do …
A Crash Course in Life
Failure is not an option. Certainly a principle to embrace when striving toward a goal. But, after the strife, what if failure is the result? When facing the reality of changes that have occurred in life, when you feel shattered and disconsolate, it is important to step back and assess. After my divorce, all my …
In the Eye of the Beholder
We no longer live in a world of reality, but rather in a world of perception. Physics posited a multiverse with countless parallel dimensions, multiplying from each decision point. We, however, are now captive in a dimension with multiple realities all springing from the eye of the beholder. I began to observe this in my …
The Just Shall Live by Faith
As citizens in a democratic republic, our government knows the will of the people only through the votes that they cast. Accordingly, voting is a civic duty not to be taken lightly. There are three main steps you must take to fulfill this duty: Registering to vote Researching the issues and candidates Casting your ballot …
Nothing New Under the Sun…
I miss libraries. Sprawling collections of books, organized by author or subject, all available for immediate perusal or for withdrawal for study in depth. I recall many times going to our city’s central library, not in quest of a particular title, but instead looking for something to read. Biography, history, how-to, fiction; it was all …
The Clockmaker
Clocks have been a hobby of mine for many years. Although I have expended time and energy to gain a modicum of skill in their service and repair, my efforts have been of limited result. My nephew once characterized my efforts as “killing clocks”. My shelves of clocks and parts sadly suggest that his assessment …
