No metaphor today, team! Visiting the local dump is a worthy use of time. The other day, I had to dispose of some undesirable items that the previous owners of our home left behind. I located the dump (euphemistically called the “transfer station”) on the internet maps and filed into the complex, passing 50+ commercialContinue reading “Go to the Dump”
Author Archives: Paul Mitchell
Arranging Flowers
There once was a gardener who arranged exquisite bouquets, always from the same simple flowers. No two of her arrangements were ever alike. She seemed to have an inexhaustible gift for recombining the same handful of flowers into new compositions. The beauty of her arrangements attracted the attention of a famous artist, who set outContinue reading “Arranging Flowers”
Vegetables on the Counter
The other day, I washed some vegetables and set them to dry on a towel on the counter. A few hours later, our sons had eaten them. Now these boys are not categorically averse to vegetables, but they do typically resist them at normal childhood levels. But this day, leaving them out made it easierContinue reading “Vegetables on the Counter”
Inventing Threats
Our car has a common safety feature. When the system perceives danger in the driver’s path, it will apply the brakes and flash tiny red lights in the field of vision. This feature is often helpful. It is, also, often wrong. A non-conscious system throws on the brakes to “protect us” from a danger thatContinue reading “Inventing Threats”
The Banality of… Goodness?
In ethics class, we learn of “the banality of evil”… the idea that systemic evil is often perpetrated not by moral monsters, but ordinary, uncritical people. But what happens, though, when we consider the “banality of goodness”… the reality that some of the most important moral habits we might develop are, at first blush, fairlyContinue reading “The Banality of… Goodness?”
Preventative Maintenance
On our daily commute, some humorous Jiffy Lube associates have crafted the following. The statement is witty, obviously supportive of their business model, and easily applicable to the human need to honor priorities and balance. It has never been easier to postpone maintenance on our relationships, bodies, and souls… to overextend ourselves, to give ourselvesContinue reading “Preventative Maintenance”
Blind Spot Buddy (Or: What Am I Missing Here?)
Let’s agree that humans are not good at seeing their blind spots. After all, how am I supposed to see what I don’t see?! Enter the AI “blind spot buddy.” So. Log into Claude (or whichever platform). Choose the issue you are having trouble with. Explain the situation as if to a friend or coach.Continue reading “Blind Spot Buddy (Or: What Am I Missing Here?)”
Resistant to Care
“Resistant to care” is a general clinical term used to describe a patient who opposes or impedes the interventions made on their behalf. (In this scenario, their caretakers must be more creative in their care for this individual.) As it concerns our development as loving persons, on some basic level, we are all “resistant toContinue reading “Resistant to Care”
A Monopoly on Pride
It doesn’t exist. Pride, that vice which convinces us of an outsized sense of our own power and perspective, is equally available to all. No single group has a monopoly on pride. And, for St. Ignatius, pride is the vice from which all our other vices flow. Let’s be vigilant when pride is present andContinue reading “A Monopoly on Pride”
Luxuries
Existence as a person in this world A heart that longs for a loved one A body to care for The ability to reach out to another An imagination that can make things or be generous To see creation’s colors These are some of life’s foundational luxuries. They put “luxuries” (typically conceived) in perspective.
Paul's Blog 