It’s always struck me how many of the world’s greatest artists carried heavy shadows. Charles Schulz, creator of Peanuts, often battled depression. Hemingway’s brilliance came with darkness that eventually swallowed him. Beethoven poured both fury and beauty into his music while fighting deafness and despair. And that list could stretch for pages, featuring writers, painters,Continue reading “Why the Creative Mind Both Thrives and Suffers”
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When Silence Becomes a Necessity
I don’t know exactly when it happened. Somewhere in the last couple of years, I went from tolerating the usual everyday noise of kids running around and doing laps in an establishment, stomping their feet while their parents do nothing, music playing a bit too loud, and a crowded room humming with conversation, to beingContinue reading “When Silence Becomes a Necessity”
When Did We Stop Teaching Kids How to Behave in Public?
I’ve written about this before, but this is really starting to piss me off. The other night in a crowded restaurant, a friend and I found ourselves dodging squeals, shrieks, climbing on the bar (yes, you read that right), and running around from toddlers who had turned the place into a playground. Grandparents and dadContinue reading “When Did We Stop Teaching Kids How to Behave in Public?”
The Myth of Doing It All Before 7 a.m.
Scroll through LinkedIn or Facebook, and you’ll see no shortage of “rise and grind” posts. Someone is at the gym before 5 a.m., someone else has read a book, sent fifteen emails, meditated, cooked breakfast for their family, and outlined their daily goals – all before you’ve finished your first coffee. The message is clear:Continue reading “The Myth of Doing It All Before 7 a.m.”
A Dog in the Library
As I’ve written about before, libraries were once considered sacred. Whisper-only zones. The quietest public space you could find outside a soundproof room. You came in, grabbed your books, or settled down at a table, and the unspoken agreement was simple: silence. Respect the space and others. Respect the idea that not everything in lifeContinue reading “A Dog in the Library”
The Danger of Always Doing More When Enough Is Actually Enough
This entry is the first in a two-part series. Part two will be published September 15. I’ve been guilty of it more times than I can count. The nagging voice that says you could be doing more. More work, more hustle, more output, more proving yourself. It sneaks into my spiritual life, my business life,Continue reading “The Danger of Always Doing More When Enough Is Actually Enough”
Rant No. 13: The Chaos at Self-Checkout
Self-checkout was supposed to make shopping faster, easier, and more efficient. Supposed to. Instead, it’s become a full-contact sport, a test of patience, and a reminder that sometimes, technology makes life more complicated, not better. First off, there’s the machine itself. You scan an item, and it yells at you like a cranky teacher: “UnexpectedContinue reading “Rant No. 13: The Chaos at Self-Checkout”
The Struggle With What Holds Us Together
It’s always struck me as strange — the very thing that holds me together is also the thing I wrestle with the most. For me, that’s my spiritual side. It grounds me, lifts me, and gives me perspective, and yet it’s been a struggle for twenty years. I’ve asked myself countless times: Why would somethingContinue reading “The Struggle With What Holds Us Together”
Rant No. 12: Menus I Can’t Read and Meals I Can’t Pronounce
Dining out is supposed to be simple: you sit down, look at the menu, order your food, and enjoy. But somewhere along the way, restaurants decided that clarity was boring and mystery was chic. Now, half the time I open a menu, I feel like I need a magnifying glass, a flashlight, and maybe aContinue reading “Rant No. 12: Menus I Can’t Read and Meals I Can’t Pronounce”
Rant No. 11: The Eater-on-the-Phone (and the Table Texter)
It’s Tuesday, so it’s time for another rant. Let’s talk about something that probably drives you up the wall, too, and that is getting a phone call from someone who’s clearly eating while they’re talking. I’m talking about the full soundscape: the slurping, the chewing, the lip-smacking, the crunching of chips, or the scraping/clanking ofContinue reading “Rant No. 11: The Eater-on-the-Phone (and the Table Texter)”
John Berkovich Talks 