May 18th, 2019 I’m struggling this weekend. This isn’t a sympathy post. It’s the opposite, actually, because its intent is to solve its own problem. My life’s journey right now feels tenuous; like I’m walking on a tightrope of just a few finely-strung muscles. I don’t feel like I’m particularly measuring up to anybody else;Continue reading “Paper Beats Rock”
Author Archives: dennisvogen
The Secret Of Change
May 13th, 2019 I’m about to tell you a secret of the universe. It’s one of the big ones, and I’m not going to keep it quiet anymore. I’m about to share with you the secret of change. I know what you’re thinking: “Whoa, Dennis. You can’t do that. If you just go and tellContinue reading “The Secret Of Change”
Make The Mundane Excellent
May 6th, 2019 I feel like I’ve been a million people lately. It’s like my brain has been scattered across the multiverse, and the only thing connecting it to itself is a current of anxious electricity. I read an piece recently about the concept of excellence. The writer argued that since most of our livesContinue reading “Make The Mundane Excellent”
Hey, Shorty
May 1st, 2019 I saw an interview with J.Lo in which she said that men are “useless” until they turn 33. I can’t even argue with that. I’m a clandestine member of a team that is part Fight Club, part church, and I got fired up today. We were talking about perfection and the sinContinue reading “Hey, Shorty”
I Love That You Love It
April 30th, 2019 An open letter to those of you who don’t “get” superhero films (or comics or just like to poo poo all over things that other people love): Marvel just released a film that is essentially about grief and the act of moving on, and it made $1.2 billion its opening weekend. IfContinue reading “I Love That You Love It”
Art Owes You Nothing
April 28th, 2019 Art owes you nothing. If you find light, or find hope, or joy or peace or love in art, ultimately that’s on you. Similarly, if you look at a work of art and it pisses you off, or deeply upsets you, or makes you angry or sad or indifferent — that isContinue reading “Art Owes You Nothing”
Mister Sandman
April 14th, 2019 I just finished reading all ten volumes of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. This will be a long post, so I’ll see two, maybe three of you down there at the end. Rarely in your life do you experience a work of art in which you are changed and you can never goContinue reading “Mister Sandman”
Snow Dayz
April 11th, 2019 This morning on the way to work, I pulled over to help two men who were trying to push a woman’s car out next to Crystal Lake. They were decked out in work gloves and thick boots; real men’s men. I feebly asked if they needed help; they said it couldn’t hurt.Continue reading “Snow Dayz”
Don’t Be A Meme
April 10th, 2019 My entire life, I’ve been told that I speak too much, that I use too many words and that I talk too fast. For a lot of my life, I was told to “fix” those things for miscellaneous reasons. It wasn’t until I learned to like myself that I realized there wasn’tContinue reading “Don’t Be A Meme”
Ask Me About My Feminist Agenda
April 7th, 2019 I’m a feminist. For a long time, I couldn’t figure out why I related to girls and women so much; or why I felt like I failed as a man so often. But I’ve been doing some deep digging and soul excavating lately, and it’s all become very clear to me: IContinue reading “Ask Me About My Feminist Agenda”
The Den 