I Believe… [Doing Unto Others]
...that treating people the way you’d want to be treated is really not that difficult.
I Believe… [It’s the Economy, Stupid]
...that the emphasis on class and labor and muting of identity and social justice is the pivot required for the Left to win elections moving forward.
I Believe…[Sell By Date]
...that like beer and cheese, a person’s ‘sell by’ date is a fiction, an illusion designed to prioritize the new over the seasoned, youth over experience.
I Believe…[Unsafe]
..that anyone not in a dark alley or the home of a known serial killer who claims the feel unsafe probably are best off becoming agoraphobic and staying inside.
I Believe…[Desperation]
...that the need to be liked (including the hormonally charged desire for ‘followers’) makes you the eighth grade boy at the middle school dance in line to impress the one girl who just got a training bra.
I Believe…[The Means is the Point]
...that anyone who espouses the idea that "the end justifies the means" has forgotten that this same philosophy was used to support everything from slavery to the Holocaust to the IMF practicing "shock doctrine" economic devastation. The "means" defines the character of the end, not the other way around.
I Believe… [Institutional Trust]
...that the absence of trust in basic societal authority is a tear in the fabric of society which makes it more essential that those in authority reach for a place of unimpeachability and transparency. Trust is lost by those with the power to abuse the contract.
I Believe… [Boiled Egg]
...that, in terms of portability, nutrition, and flavor a boiled egg is perhaps the perfect breakfast item.
I Believe… [Achilles Heel]
...that recognizing one’s Achilles heel is more about finding a compilation of weaknesses that manifest together than one tendon.
I Believe… [Jedi Haircut]
...that the moment a character uses a lightsaber to give herself a haircut was the pivot from cultural icon to Obi-Wan Fonzi jumping a tauntaun on a speeder bike.
I Believe… [Unsub]
...that I may need to date just so I can avoid the routine description of a serial killer ‘unsub’ on Criminal Minds—white male, lives alone, changes jobs frequently, antisocial. Eek.
I Believe… [In Mockery]
...that a more effective approach to shame is mockery.
I Believe…[Most Apples Are Tasty]
...that a few bad apples only spoil the barrel if you let them. Most of those apples are pretty good and tasty.
I Believe… [Pivot]
...that the secret to a successful day is the flexibility to pivot when things go sideways.
I Believe… [Laughing at Tragedy]
...that the purpose of the comedy mask is to be jeering and cracking up at the tragedy mask.
I Believe… [The Real Golden Rule]
...that treating people with the same respect you would like for yourself isn’t difficult as long as you don’t expect the same treatment in return.
I Believe… [Old Age]
...that old age as a concept has little to do with the slowing of the body and far more to do with the decay of curiosity.
I Believe… [Mullets]
...that a mullet on a man is silly but a mullet on a woman is an aggressive statement of independence and empowerment in the shadow of the patriarchy.
I Believe… [The Flipside of Grit]
...that, if grit and industry is something you respect, you have to hand it to thieves who steal catalytic converters because at least they aren’t sitting on the sidewalk with a cup.
I Believe… [Take a Walk]
...that a long walk in a neighborhood you’ve done a million things in is both a reminder of times gone by and a call for something new on old ground.
...that God exists, but only as a sarcastic improv comic trapped inside a lava lamp, muttering, “Yes, and?” every time we beg for clarity.