Raymond Underberg

Take a pen out and a sheet of paper and write a letter by hand to a friend or loved one, put a stamp on it, and walk it to the mailbox. Turn off the wifi at home for a few hours. Turn off the TV. Sit and listen to the rain or walk in […]

Nearly all of us (that can) use language every day. It is incredibly useful; don’t get me wrong. But, as with everything else, it is not perfect. There are trade-offs to be made in using language. One of the many pitfalls of language…of words…is that they only approximate something. A tree is a tree, it

It is very easy to find people or things to get mad at. It almost seems like this is becoming the new national pastime. We are mad at airline ticket pricing opacity and politicians and school boards and cell phone carriers and just about everyone else in between. We seem to be mad at the

It is really rather funny when you think about it. The human mind is the single most complicated discrete thing that we know of in the universe. We marvel at the achievements made possible by the collective work of these awesome organs. Yet, as has been known for millennia, quieting these powerful tools is at

I take clean clothes from my automatic washer and dryer for granted. I take for granted as well the ability and easy affordability of calling my friend or relative across the country, across the world. Safe abundant cheap drinking water pouring out of multiple taps throughout my home, whenever I want it! Indoor plumbing and

Seems like a pretty basic question, but is it? What am I? Not who, but what. Am I this body? If I were to lose a limb, I’d still be me. So, I can’t be this body. This body is just a vessel to contain and carry and protect “me”.   Am I these thoughts?

Saying “I don’t know” is not only an underappreciated skill, it is actually viewed as a weakness by many if not most. But, the power of admitting to oneself “I don’t know” is immense. We actually need to have “I don’t know” pioneers. It is a work of compassion to spread the joy and health

I am guilty of this. I have used these as a crutch, as a way to avoid uncomfortable things. This has been a coping mechanism for me to manage anxiety. I “try” and “just” and “only” my way through life. I give myself just enough “wiggle room” so that I can simultaneously convince myself that

What a comforting though! What an equally terrifying proposition? Exactly! The glass is half full and half empty and not real and in flux all at the same time (and space). Say, for example, that there is a global pandemic, could be a virus, or fear, or despair, or loss of faith, or poor grammar.

The connective tissue of existence is faith. There is little else holding it all together. We have (or do not have) faith in ourselves, our community, societal adherence to stop lights, and value for fiat currencies. What causes recessions? Many things, but often largely loss of faith. What feeds their eventual inevitable recoveries; yep, faith.