The Enlightenment of the Modern Man

I am an English teacher; let me rephrase.  I am a teacher of the Language Arts, not a teacher from across the pond with an elegant accent, a penchant for tea, nor the need for a tepid ale (well, I do enjoy tea). But as an educator of the literary arts at the high-school level, a particular moment of resistance stems from the introduction of Shakespeare into the curriculum.  “I don’t understand it,” “It is boring,” “It doesn’t make any sense,” are just a few of the negative responses that are pressed upon me when I suggest that our famous bard is about to enter into our classroom and grace us with his presence.  And while there is agreement that much of the language could be argued as outdated and archaic, the basic premise, especially within the tragedies, are played out in front of us through reality and especially media each day under our noses without a second thought.  History, in fact, does repeat itself, even if it is on a theatrical level, but the inspiration ...

 All hail Ted Lasso – I jest, but his reuse of the famous Walt Whitman quote, “be curious, not judgmental,” is now being blasted upon memorabilia and internet memes across the globe.  A short 30-second clip from an Apple TV show now resonates across media strands and has made people think about their perception of people and the world in regards to how they observe all that is around them.  A true motivational movement as a tumultuous 2020 has made many rethink their purpose and place in regards to humanity and justice.  It is a true crossover of literary genius and pop-culture iconism.  The T-shirts, mugs, and additional paraphernalia are pure definition of kitsch at its finest.  The heart of the quotation is a key to a bigger situation that has led to many discomforts and political unrest: the notion of curiosity.   The ability to ask a question is one of the key doctrines of philosophy given to us by many of the academics that sparked the spirit o...

As I lay dying, sprawled on the ground, wailing in pain, dripping in sweat, and unable to move – questioning life decisions.  Much was a blur, and mixture of stars drifting into a black hole fixated in my internal mind’s eye.  It was not just a combination of confusion of clarity, but also that of relief and accomplishment.  The true embodiment of pain and ecstasy; 2 minutes and 37 seconds was all it took to succeed at such an achievement.  I just PR’d Fran.  I moved quickly with determination and ferocity.  I made this commitment as soon as I heard this was the workout on the previous Friday.  So, on this Monday morning, February 1 st to be exact, I went to the pit of despair for thorough examination of my personal devotion to fitness. Crossfitters know this feeling, 90 reps, 95 lbs. thrusters and pull-ups, broken up into a 21-15-9 alternating movement patter, and a feeling of dread when they ever see it on the board for the workout of the day. ...

  During the most inauspicious time in my life, I feel the symbol that threatened my existence was the contemplation of truly being alone – even though I had a 115-pound German shepherd there to comfort me.  The fear of only having myself to count and depend on frightened and disillusioned me to the sense of power and resiliency that we all have embedded into our divine nature.  I was so enraptured by the false reality that I have created and judged myself upon only echoed my disaster that had then imprinted itself into my heart.  As the model of co-dependency has become a standard within our 3-D society it should be zero surprise that I was stuck in the personal pyramid of isolation and felt that I was a captive without a key to the door. The blessing and tranquility of being alone is not just invaluable but crucial to the contentment and pleasure of true divine love.   The sanctity of the self is a pleasure that has long been not just forgotten, but even loo...

  Even though the book has just been released, I can still see that as I have grown since I actually decided to submit it to publication.   The weight of much that I carried was fully released and I was able to gather more insight on many of the revelations that had occurred.   It is not as though I am stepping away from my thoughts, I now perceive more of what I described from a new ideology.   It is crazy how small actions that one can do to release an old wound really allows a flood of enlightenment to fill one with clarity and well-being.   I felt much of this just as I hit the “OK” button and agreed to the terms for publication.   I have reached the point where my past will no longer hurt me because that era is gone and that energy no longer serves me. It is crazy that even after hundreds of edits, it takes a shift in self-realization to understand what you might have missed on your journey – as in the other patterns and signs that were revealed to y...