Category Archives: Atheist Life

“The Life of a Day” by Tom Hennen

Posted on by

0

“The Life of a Day”

by Tom Hennen

“Like people or dogs, each day is unique and has its own personality quirks which can easily be seen if you look closely. But there are so few days as compared to people, not to mention dogs, that it would be surprising if a day were not a hundred times more interesting than most people. But usually they just pass, mostly unnoticed, unless they are wildly nice, like autumn ones full of red maple trees and hazy sunlight, or if they are grimly awful ones in a winter blizzard that kills the lost traveler and bunches of cattle. For some reason we like to see days pass, even though most of us claim we don’t want to reach our last one for a long time. We examine each day before us with barely a glance and say, no, this isn’t one I’ve been looking for, and wait in a bored sort of way for the next, when, we are convinced, our lives will start for real. Meanwhile, this day is going by perfectly well-adjusted, as some days are, with the right amount of sunlight and shade, and a light breeze scented with a perfume made from the mixture of fallen apples, corn stubble, dry oak leaves, and the faint odor of last night’s meandering skunk.”

Read in Good Poems by Garrison Keillor

Reading Right Now: The End of Absence by Michael Harris

Posted on by

0

I’ve started reading this e-book. Join in if you think it would interest you!

The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We’ve Lost in a World of Constant Connection by Michael Harris

the end of absence

I’ve been frustrated by my seeming inability to disconnect from constant interruptions lately. I’m definitely included in the generation that remembers a time without the internet and yet is fully immersed in it now.

I remember a time when I had an attention span and I miss it! Don’t get me wrong, I love technology! But I’m yearning to put it in its place a bit so I can stay connected with the real me that exists outside of all the modern noise. I want to develop the ability to be in silence again, to be alone with myself for long periods of time without grabbing my cell phone for the next hit of internet adrenaline. I want to be ok with being still again. I want to allow myself to get bored (is that possible???) and to find a solution in something that doesn’t involve pushing buttons or filling up the silence with some form of noise.

(I might exclude reading on my tablet from this because that is something I’ve loved doing my entire life and it does help me to reconnect with the real me – and it requires an attention span. And I love that e-books don’t use up trees and don’t take up space in my house and then need to be discarded later. So that’s my one exception.)

So this book looks like a great read. I want to embrace technology but in a more intentional way. I want to make conscious choices where possible about how much of my life I’m going to allow it to invade.

That’s all my rambling. Join me in reading it if you like!

Adding to My Must-Read List: Waking Up by Sam Harris

Posted on by

2

Sam Harris has a new book out and I’m definitely going to read it. Anyone want to join me?

Waking Up by Sam Harris

You can read Chapter One here:

Waking Up by Sam Harris

I’d love if some of you wanted to join me in reading this and we could discuss it.

[Edit: Looks like it’s being released on Sept. 9th so we’ll have to wait until then to get it.]

Happy reading!

What Should We Think About Death? Narrated by Stephen Fry

Posted on by

1

Came across this great video from the British Humanist Association and narrated by Stephen Fry:

It looks like the British Humanist Association has some great videos on their youtube channel including other ones like this one which are narrated by Stephen Fry. Check out their youtube channel here. They also have a Facebook page which looks like it’s worth following. And here is the link for their main website.

Enjoy!