What follows is the eulogy I wrote for my mother, Jacyne Woodcox. She passed on to whatever is next on February 9th, 2022. I love you mom. If there’s one oddity about the way my brain works, it’s the function of memory. I know it’s all in there, a lifetime of experiences, impressions, thoughts, and moments all added together to become the story of who I am. But I can’t pick out the individual pieces from decades past and tell you, here is what happened. Read more...

To say that the last few years have been a whirlwind is perhaps an understatement. Or a testament to the fact that I don’t have the firsthand experience necessary to use ‘tornado’ or ‘hurricane’ as a metaphor. I’m not just speaking of world events like pandemics or wars, but with my own little corner of the universe. It’s been more than a year since I last wrote anything for this blog. Read more...

I’m writing this on November 16, 2020, with the intention of publishing it a year from yesterday. It’s more for me at this point than anything I want to share with the world. These past few days have been difficult. I spent them with someone I love dearly as the two of us sat in vigil with her dog, Arlo. I did not know Arlo for long, but he had a fierceness and personality that touched me more than most humans have. Read more...

Starting over has never been an easy thing. For much of human history, we’ve been integrated with our tribe or tied to the land. Strangers from elsewhere were viewed with distrust in spite of all the major religions espousing love and hospitality for such people. But somewhere along the way, it became possible to leave behind who you were and build a new life. I’m not here to judge the people that did that. Read more...

There are a number of useful metaphors and mental models through which to examine the world and how we operate in it. This post will focus on games. I’m no expert in game theory, but these reflections require nothing so rigorous. Instead, this will highlight various games or game-like elements that we can choose to play in our lives. Our approach to the world and the strategies and tactics we bring to bear will define our experiences. Read more...