Paul Mitchell

In Time / Out of Time

It is possible to live “out of time.” That is, to cling to a moment, season, or epoch and “how things were then” and “how we thought or spoke back then.” We need not even have experienced this period of time, but have only learned about it. Put another way, it is possible to experienceContinue reading “In Time / Out of Time”

What Is Here That I Have Never Noticed Before?

As I consider: A loved one, as they grow A well-loved Scripture passage That one tree The wonder of our bodies Our attention is necessarily filtered, often to the detriment of our lives. So: What is here that I have never noticed before? (And do I allow myself to slow down enough to hear theContinue reading “What Is Here That I Have Never Noticed Before?”

Reading Buddies

At school, our six-year-old has a reading buddy. Last week, I got to see them in action. Aside from being outrageously cute, this relationship serves multiple purposes. Primarily, our son’s reading buddy offers near instant feedback on decoding and comprehension. For an adult, a worthy way to assess the value of our past education isContinue reading “Reading Buddies”

Characters and Compassion

Like a totally normal person (😉), I’ve been thinking lately about one of the essay questions on an English exam my senior year of high school. The internet helped me find the exact wording. Here it is: Discuss the notion of morally ambiguous characters—those whose behavior doesn’t allow readers to categorize them as purely goodContinue reading “Characters and Compassion”

Tracks in the Wrong Direction

Near the end of one of Wendell Berry’s finest poems comes the advice to “…Be like the fox / who makes more tracks than necessary, / some in the wrong direction.” The status quo may expect us to seek to maximize our waking hours for pleasure and profit, to always think and speak like ourContinue reading “Tracks in the Wrong Direction”

The Edge of the Margin

Near our home is a building boasting a large-lettered sign with the name MarginEdge on top. I assume this is an office of some sort and I have no experience with with them other than seeing their sign, but what a curious idea that sign calls to mind. The demands of life (both real andContinue reading “The Edge of the Margin”

Adversary or Enemy?

So, consider for a moment that person one might disagree with… How we engage them and the story we tell about that interaction turns them into an adversary or an enemy. An adversary is a sparing partner, a worthy rival. An enemy is someone you behold with hostile contempt from whom nothing can be learned. Continue reading “Adversary or Enemy?”

Healthspan

I recently heard “heathspan” (how many years one is healthy) contrasted with “lifespan” (how many years one is alive). It’s a generative distinction, helping us focus on the health and quality of the years we live. And what kind(s) of health are we talking about? Bodily, certainly. That is the assumed definition. But also spiritualContinue reading “Healthspan”

The Confederacy of the Humbled

Count Rostov, the uniquely charming protagonist of A Gentleman in Moscow, experiences the loss of stature, influence, and the world he has known. (Not a spoiler! It happens on page 1.) By way of recovery from this loss, he casts a new narrative and describes his inclusion in the “Confederacy of the Humbled”:

“a close-knit brotherhood whose members travel with no outward markings, but who know each other at a glance. For having fallen suddenly from grace, those in the Confederacy share a certain perspective. Knowing beauty, influence, fame, and privilege to be borrowed rather than bestowed, they are not easily impressed. They are not quick to envy or take offense. They certainly do not scour the papers in search of their own names. They remain committed to living among their peers, but they greet adulation with caution, ambition with sympathy, and condescension with an inward smile.”

When live’s losses come for us, we have a choice. We can rehearse and resent them, living within their confines. Or we can pray for the grace to acknowledge and integrate them, reengaging life as wisely as the Count.

God Made That!

For me, one of life’s finest joys is to be so thrilled by the creation of a book that I can’t imagine how it did not exist before. With unique thoughtfulness and passion, Kat Hoenke and Bill Jacobs, both professional ecologists and lay Catholic leaders, invite young people on a journey with the saints andContinue reading “God Made That!”