Don Hall 2/12/25 Don Hall 2/12/25

A Collision of Mirrors and Masks

When Victim Society and Honor Society collide, it’s not a battle of ideologies—it’s a battle of insecurities. Both are desperate for validation, just in different languages. One says, “Look at my pain,” the other says, “Look at my strength,” but underneath, they’re both screaming, “Please, just look at me.”

Don Hall 2/10/25 Don Hall 2/10/25

I Believe… [Calm DOWN!]

...that telling people to calm down is less effective to actually getting them calm than the act of being calm in the first place. Lead by example.

Don Hall 2/3/25 Don Hall 2/3/25

I Believe… [Old Guy Vanity]

...that, while the fascination with looking younger than people think you should look is a narcissistic vanity, it’s still pretty cool.

Don Hall 2/3/25 Don Hall 2/3/25

Approaching the Sixth Decade

Sixty is around the corner. What lessons did 59 hold?

Don Hall 1/30/25 Don Hall 1/30/25

The Inability to See Past the Rage

The media started this trend with the heavy lean into tragedies and manufactured hysteria. The attention economy thrives on hyperbole.

Don Hall 1/27/25 Don Hall 1/27/25

I Believe… [No Going Back]

...that you can’t go back to who you were but you can go back to where you belong.

Don Hall 1/20/25 Don Hall 1/20/25

I Believe… [Acknowledge This]

...that land acknowledgments are a collective pat on the back for people who want to seem aware without breaking a sweat. Trust me—money or land would mean more.

Don Hall 1/13/25 Don Hall 1/13/25

I Believe… [Heroin Chic]

...that, with Ozempic making the stars of Wicked look like they are on heroin, it’s safe to say that body positivity is as over as DEI.

Don Hall 1/11/25 Don Hall 1/11/25

The Death of the Middle Class: A Tragedy in Three Acts

Once upon a time, the middle class was the American Dream incarnate.

Don Hall 1/8/25 Don Hall 1/8/25

Self-Care: A Misunderstood Act of War

You can’t pour from an empty cup, right? Well, you also can’t create, connect, or inspire when you’re running on fumes.

Don Hall 1/6/25 Don Hall 1/6/25

I Believe… [AI Roast]

...that having ChatGpt roast you is a wonderful window into how potentially full of shit you are. It is a dispassionate revealer of how you appear to the online world and stings while pulling the veil aside.

Don Hall 1/2/25 Don Hall 1/2/25

The Perils of Excess: When Liberal Progress Overreaches

“It isn’t that people don’t want progress. They just don’t want so much of it all at once.”

Don Hall 12/31/24 Don Hall 12/31/24

New Year’s Resolutions: A Savage Journey to the Heart of Self-Delusion

The concept of the New Year’s resolution is as American as apple pie and arterial blockages—a ritualistic spectacle of good intentions dressed up in cheap tinsel and wishful thinking.

Don Hall 12/30/24 Don Hall 12/30/24

I Believe… [Googly Eyes]

...that ownership and use of Googly Eyes as a man approaching 60 is a sign of an absolute refusal to grow old. Older, sure. Not old.

Don Hall 12/23/24 Don Hall 12/23/24

I Believe… [The Reese’s Takeover]

...that, if taken through the lens of truck stops and gas stations throughout the Midwest, Reese’s has taken over the world.

Don Hall 12/17/24 Don Hall 12/17/24

ON SOLO TIME

There’s a weird and persistent cultural myth that being alone is inherently bad—like solitude is something that happens to you, not something you choose.

Don Hall 12/16/24 Don Hall 12/16/24

I Believe… [Follow the Money]

...that the most body positive corporations on the planet are McDonald’s, Frito-Lay, and Kraft.

Don Hall 12/9/24 Don Hall 12/9/24

I Believe… [Love Actually?]

...that my favorite part of Love Actually (which, mind you, is like declaring my favorite part of a Sizzler sald bar) is the story about the aging rockstar who realizes he’d rather spend Christmas with his loyal friend than party with Elton John.

Don Hall 12/4/24 Don Hall 12/4/24

On Gratitude

But gratitude isn’t just about the big, existential stuff. It’s also in the details—the smell of gasoline on a cold morning, the sting of whiskey after a long day, the way the world looks at 4:00am when you’re too wired to sleep.

Don Hall 12/2/24 Don Hall 12/2/24

I Believe… [The Paradox of Wisdom]

...that good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from poor judgement.