Everything Under the Sun

August | Travel and Experience  |   Week 33 | 8/20/2023 California Like every kid born in America, I too am drawn to the grand cities of potential and promise - New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles. Vanity and wonder draw one in, and visiting for the first time, we can all appreciate the superposition of that moment. The first time I was in California I was in middle school on a family trip to San Francisco. At that time, in the mid 2000's, California was still the supercenter for dot com and not yet a relic of a once past boom. That meant the surrounding environment was still inviting and not yet hostile. Much changed in the following two decades, particularly during COVID. My first time back to California was January 2020 on the precipice of the death spiral of California. Given my particular political predisposition I was expecting the dichotomy I would soon observe but expecting only one side of the dichotomous emotional spectrum. I expected to witness the haves and the h...

August | Travel and Experience  |   Week 32 | 8/13/2023 Traveling alone Unlike the rigor of accompanied travel there is something about traveling alone which is often marked by serendipity - fortuitous, if one is Taoist in their approach. It is the duty of psychological individuation to spend time with oneself alone, in the quiet contemplation of introspection. This is accomplished most effectively in the lonely, regular, mundane nights, where duty to one's schedule is priority 1 of 1. It is also accomplished in the challenging moments spent alone, voluntary or otherwise: pushing oneself to run 10 miles with no extrinsic motivation, dealing with illness or loss alone, or simply getting through a week of letdowns, failures and setbacks, alone. There is a third way, one can truly individuate and it is context dependent - traveling alone.  My first solo travel was immediately after I graduated; a trip out West that I needed to take to reset my mind after years' long battles ...

August | Travel and Experience  |   Week 31 | 8/6/2023 Traveling with friends The sources of pure elation in this life are truly scarce, but with proper due diligence, genuine connection and adequate resources, there is one which can be reoccurring and reliable - travel with friends. The due diligence; picking great friends. The genuine connection; deep friendships not reliant on substances or situations. The adequate resources; enough capital to fund a plane ticket, a rental car and a hotel, if necessary.  I've been extraordinarily fortunate to meet and cultivate the right friendships that have allowed me to experience the joy of travel, both domestic and foreign, on more than one occasion. The three of us, Zach, Daniel and I had a first glimpse of travel together back in college when we took a day trip to Cedar Key to watch the sunset on Earth Day. We snuck onto an abandoned air strip to get as close as we could do the water and finished the night at a wooden bar that s...

July | Philosophy and Religion |   Week 30 | 7/30/2023 What are the modern Philosophic and Theological doctrines today? Philosophy and Religion have long marked the centuries and millennium as summative vectors behind eras. It was the Abrahamic religions which underpinned the Crusades. It was Confucius who brought China to bear. It was Plato, Socrates and Aristotle who likely began the Golden Thread. We know of the Enlightenment, Classical Antiquity, the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Renaissance, and Contemporary History. Each period can be quickly and easily matched with the prevailing Philosophic and Theological doctrines of the time. The perennial metamorphoses of philosophy and theology is the apheresis and coagulation of our species. It is what pushes and pulls humanity's journey. Taking contemporary history as ours to examine - what are the modern philosophic-theological camps that prevail today? Where do they come from and what do they represent? I can think of 8, which cr...

July | Philosophy and Religion |   Week 29 | 7/23/2023 Deep dive on Buddhism What I know of Buddhism is essentially nothing other than a feeling. I cannot articulate or intellectualize the Dharmas. I am unable to contribute additional depth to the millennias of thought dedicated to the Buddha. I cannot offer alternative translations to the Sanskrit, Chinese or English versions of the Lotus Sutra . But I can tell you what it is like to have been to a Buddhist nation, from the perspective of someone who grew up with no knowledge of such tradition. I can tell you what I observed, what I felt, and what conclusions I was able to draw. I can take my limited knowledge of Western Thought, from the Delphic Maxims to the New Testament, and tell you what I've learned of the East.  As one strolls through the concrete side streets of Japanese suburbia, there is an indelible solace which resonates through each block, inspired by the minimalist design and abundant tranquility. Stepping into ...

I arrive at these words with great grief and particular elation,  Aware of how I oscillate between tremor and satiation. Profoundly struck by the universality of this sensation,  It's a sense of duty to reality which salvages my salvation. I wonder what God might say to this product of his creation? Might he extend the hand of wisdom out as an invitation? Would he think this rambling of self awareness an appreciation?  Or a diatribe of ignorance and rejection of divine revelation? Despite uncertainty, I can say one thing with some authority,  That the pangs of my conscience have driven in me uniformity. A clarity in the same part of me which is tired of all the partying.  I've watched myself recoil from the ego I have been embodying. In the attainment of such wisdom, I have discovered my purpose. For reasons still unclear to me it beckons with distinct fervor. Like the 4 Cardinal Virtues: wisdom, prudence, justice, and courage.  The meaning of life I find i...

July | Philosophy and Religion |   Week 28 | 7/16/2023 Deep dive on Stoicism Looking to annals of history, it's abundantly clear that the most common motif of conscious experience is suffering (to be continued in the Buddhism deep dive). Many great novels, documentaries and cinematic representations have highlighted the brutality of life on Earth, be it animal, insect, or man. However, the consciousness with which we've been gifted confers in us the ability to recognize the suffering of brutal reality, and in many cases, paradoxically, create it ourselves. So it is no surprise that religions and philosophies alike have sought to address this fundamental element of conscious experience. The Nihilists attempt to pad themselves by proclaiming zero meaning in reality, whereby they can take solace in the passage of time until their final hour, relieving them of the burden of life. The Confucians use the collective diligence and work ethic of establishing social order as the antidote...

July | Philosophy and Religion |   Week 27 | 7/9/2023 Deep dive on Christianity  I am a novice of Christianity. Yes, I know the narrative arc, I know the rising actions, the climax and the conclusion. I even know some of the main characters, but admittedly, I lack a critical layer of depth such that my articulation and analysis of the narrative is elementary. Think about when you hear someone intelligent speak on a podcast, on stage or through an article; it becomes immediately clear that your own knowledge of the English language, the language of your native tongue, the only tool you have in your toolbelt to communicate, is severely incomplete. The diction with which you have access to is a fraction compared to an impressive individual and therefore your capacity for expression of complex, nuanced ideas is lacking also. In the same way, despite growing up in the Catholic church, attending Sunday school and being confirmed into the faith, I have come to understand that my reli...

July | Philosophy and Religion |   Week 26 | 7/2/2023 Talk about the synergies between Eastern Thought and Western Thought Theologians and philosophers alike develop silos of ego, compartmentalized into self-containing rationalization, all born of competitiveness. It is a natural inclination to prove and disprove. It is counterintuitive to subject matter expertise to find similarity rather than identify difference. I grew up Catholic and rarely did I consider the larger philosophical and religious landscape of the world, until I learned of the world. Upon reading the texts of the stoics, who predated Christ, I saw parallel conclusions about fundamental features of the human nature. In deep diving the Old Testament, I discovered archetypes which could be found in ancient Egypt and ancient China. And in Japan, visiting the Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, I learned of the connection between observation, self-regulation, nature, and enlightenment, a central theme in both Stoicism ...

June | Post College and Change |   Week 25 | 6/25/2023 Talk about settling in Charlotte and what life is like now For 3 years I rehearsed in my head, the particular environment I would create, if I had the opportunity to do so. I envisioned The Setup - to be a single man in his mid 20's, the job I would get, the place I would live, what I would look like, who my friends would be, what my hobbies would be, how I would spend my time and money, and what things I would accomplish. For 3 years I honed in on that vision until finally a chance for me to make it reality. In April 2021, I landed the job; remote, in tech, opportunity for promotion. In May 2021 I landed the apartment; first floor with a stoop, on the light rail in Southend Charlotte. By September 2021, I'd garnered a friend group, I'd achieved a level of physical fitness that I was proud of, and I honed in on particular skillsets like chess, theology, and running. In October 2021, The Setup was complete. And a few day...

June | Post College and Change |   Week 24 | 6/18/2023 Describe the year you lived in Winston Salem It's fascinating in life how we discover our limit - how much can we take before we fold. It was only months after I'd moved to Charlotte, the city of my dreams for half a decade, that I stepped away from it. That fourth rotation in Charlotte was an odd one. I'd been in Spartanburg, Jacksonville, Detroit and Seattle, with dreams of Charlotte the entire time. But, COVID lockdowns ensued almost immediately after I arrived. I was beyond grateful to be living with my brother and his wife, looking back now that serendipitous timing was a major blessing. About 3 months went by, locked indoors, finding ways to occupy free time and avoid working too much. Life had given me the opportunity to be in the city I'd fallen in love with, but with limited opportunity to enjoy it. And so when opportunity knocked, I answered. I was offered a role, launching a new Amazon fulfillment center ...

June | Post College and Change |   Week 23 | 6/11/2023 What was your time in Seattle like and what did you learn? Reflecting back almost 4 years later, the drive from Detroit to Seattle was one of the more profound treks of my life. There are obvious profundities imbued in travel, and even more obvious novelties in foreign travel, but how many people have truly seen their land and their country? I feel incredibly fortunate to be American for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the beauty and accessibility of our vast nation, so inspired by the mission of manifest destiny that many thousands died to see actualized. Our nation is the 4th largest in the world and far more capable of being traversed than the three above it - China, Russia, and Canada. Over 4 days, I saw Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. I had dinner in St. Paul, a beer in Bismarck, I went sight seeing in Bozeman, and I stopped for a rest in Spokane. When I finall...

June | Post College and Change |   Week 22 | 6/4/2023 What was it like to leave Florida and live in Detroit? There comes a day in life, which many know well, where one finally leaves home. When I say leave home I don't mean for summer camp, for a vacation with your friend's family, for an internship, or even for college. These are soft launches, they're impermanent, but they allow for a glimpse. In particular college, where understanding of this concept enters conscious awareness. But I'm talking about truly leaving home - you've graduated, you've got a job, and that job doesn't exist in the city where your parents live, perhaps not the state, or even the same country. I'm talking about really leaving home. I'm talking about, when your parents finally convert your old room to a guest room, take you off the phone plan and the insurance. I'm talking about changing your permanent mailing address. This is an important day and a rite of passage. And t...

May | Health and Fitness |   Week 21 | 5/28/2023 What ideas do you have on the future of health?  Think for a second, that the body is like a large corporation. From the outside looking in, we see the advertisements, we see the big flashy buildings, the products that hit the stores. From the exterior, a company looks and appears to be put together. But the reality of what is happening inside the buildings, in the board rooms, at the desks of thousands of employees, could be and is very different than the outside vantage point. A business is a complex system of smaller businesses. For example, Amazon, my company, is really Alexa (Devices), Cloud (AWS), Retail (Fulfilment) and a dozen other businesses which make up Amazon.com. Individuals in a company are the same as cells in a body. They are performing the function of the lowest level of necessary requirement, specific tasks like Finance, HR, Sales, akin to white blood cell, red blood cell, neuron. Small teams are like organs. ...