My latest posts

  • Beyond happy – the pursuit of ease erases our humanity (and liberty)
    Epigraph “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” – United States Declaration […]
  • Beyond happy – a resonant reality requires resistance
    Introduction idyllic_moment.jpg Attaining (whether by pluck or luck) a seemingly friction-free life is a seductive notion. A state essentially without complaint. Something to yearn for, strive for. Perhaps achieve via a life of effort, as a well-earned place. Or a […]
  • feather & fur – a 21st century fable, part 1
    [Draft 11-3-2025] feather & fur – parting ways a 21st century fable Copyright © 2025 John P. Healy (humility’s hard done by) Claws in the night In the murky stillness, something sharp hit his head, knocking him to the ground. […]
  • October 31 comes – beware pricking of thy thumbs
    October 31 comes with parties … candy treats … a long and varied history … remembering … This year the Halloween holiday reminded me of the 1983 film adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s 1962 dark fantasy novel Something Wicked This Way […]
  • The meaningscape – synchronizing shared realities?
    Meaningscape is a relatively new word – for the contours & connections that we sense and use to grasp our reality. It’s a layered ‘sandwich’ of signs & symbols, beacons & benchmarks, ways & waypoints, memories & meanings. [1] Meaning […]
  • Modern stoicism – beyond happy & meaningful, Part 3
    I like the way Tim LeBon begins his article (cited below) – with an homage to how ancient Greek & Roman philosophers practiced stoicism. My legacy take typically is that of a “grin and bear it” type of equanimity (without […]
  • Zen – beyond happy & meaningful, Part 2
    So, well-being – beyond a feeling of happiness and a sense of meaning – is more than an end state. It’s something that remains dynamic, something contrary to complacency. It’s an ongoing state of engagement, of paying attention. A key […]
  • The Good Life – beyond happy & meaningful, Part 1
    This article (cited below) poses an interesting question: Why do some people feel unfulfilled even when they have happy (“feeling good”) and meaningful (“doing good”) lives? As I’ve explored elsewhere (as in stories), “thriving” is a tagline for many fortunate […]
  • Shadowscape – Episode 6
    [Featured image: welcome mat in a trash can] [Draft 8-23-2025 … 9-2-2025] THE SHADOWSCAPE Copyright © 2025 John P. Healy (e)scape for free from reality What’s it all aboutWhen you sort it out, AlfieAre we meant to take more than […]
  • Shadowscape Episode 5, Part 2
    THE SHADOWSCAPE Copyright © 2025 John P. Healy (e)scape for free from reality – Remembrances of Energy Lords And Time, a maniac scattering dust,And Life, a Fury slinging flame.– “In Memoriam A. H. H.” Canto 50 by Alfred, Lord Tennyson […]