May 24th, 2021 I find that using metaphor is helpful in explaining behavior or situations or phenomena in a way that encourages the person reading it to be less defensive and feel not attacked. So let’s talk about tiger trainers. First things first: being a tiger trainer is one of the dumbest careers in theContinue reading “Why of the Tiger”
Author Archives: dennisvogen
The Truth is Way Out There, Part II
May 23rd, 2021 I took a pause between my last post and this one because I didn’t get to say everything I wanted to say about it. About the act of believing. The first half was an affirmation. This part is a warning. There are over 4,000 distinct religions on our planet. And every personContinue reading “The Truth is Way Out There, Part II”
The Truth is Way Out There
May 20th, 2021 I believe in something weird. I believe that the universe purposefully created the particles and the atoms that eventually led to human beings because it wanted someone here who could see, hear, feel and appreciate the universe itself. I believe this because I think the universe is inherently lonely. I don’t thinkContinue reading “The Truth is Way Out There”
Forward
May 20th, 2021 I won’t forget 2020 for a number of reasons. For all of the reasons, honestly. As the great poets Chumbawumba once sang: “I got knocked down.” But, like Chumbawumba goes on to say, I have to get back up again. And from the ashes comes a new look and a bold directionContinue reading “Forward”
The Grind
May 17th, 2021 None of us asked to be here. What I mean by that is: never in human history did any of us specifically request to be born. Keep this in mind for a minute. As we reassess what life was, what it’s been over the last year and what it’s going to lookContinue reading “The Grind”
Homes
May 15th, 2021 Hey. I am beyond exhausted and overwhelmed at the moment, but I wanted to sincerely thank everyone who made time for us today. We made it work despite being a full year out of small talk practice, and your presence was felt and can’t be overstated. Today I felt a huge partContinue reading “Homes”
A Post-It Note of a Moment
May 14th, 2021 Hi. Just a little message to let you know how much I love you all. I can’t express how happy it makes me getting messages and comments from you reading Time is a Solid State, highlighting and sharing passages and pages in your stories, and letting me know you’re digging it inContinue reading “A Post-It Note of a Moment”
Truth Serum
May 12th, 2021 There was a phrase I used to hear all the time when I was drinking that would put fear in me more than anything else anyone could say. “The truth comes out when you’re drunk.” This was repeated so often that it was no longer anecdotal for me, an absolute, objective truthContinue reading “Truth Serum”
Am Pathetic?
May 11th, 2021 Is empathy an accurate tool towards understanding? That’s not a rhetorical question. I’m actually asking. Because I’m having trouble trying to reconcile two different points of view from a singular source. Let’s pick a job. I’m not going to make this easy because that’s not what I do, so let’s say theContinue reading “Am Pathetic?”
Delightfully Tasteless
May 9th, 2021 For this Mother’s Day, my first without my own, I was digging through my memories, trying to think of the most touching, tasteful, darling story I could share about my mom. But that wasn’t her, not mostly. She was fun and mischievous and sometimes, delightfully, downright tasteless. This is one of thoseContinue reading “Delightfully Tasteless”
The Den 