Evan Shapiro's Blog, page 3
September 14, 2016
Read the sign
Street signs are always telling us what to do. We have stop signs, give way, slow, reduce speed and so on. We have walk and don’t walk signs and we have traffic lights controlling our movements, but don’t get me started on traffic lights (read more here). My point is, we are pretty used to reading signs and then as a result altering our behaviour.
An unexpected interchange in a DVD store made…
September 5, 2016
Beavers building their dams
There are some people in the world that are very determined to debrief. Regardless of the situation you might be in with them they need to download. They need to tell you what’s happening to them, why it’s happening, what it means to their life and so on. This doesn’t always feel like a conversation in fact it feels more like you are being talked at than conversed with.
For the listener it can…
August 28, 2016
My Itchy Leg
I have an itchy spot on my right calf. It’s probably mild eczema. I have seen the doctor who has referred me to a skin specialist but I’m yet to follow-up on that appointment. Dr Google says it could be one of eighteen conditions. I’m ruling out some of the nastier probabilities on the basis that there are no other symptoms and if it was something really nasty then I’d probably actually feel sick…
August 24, 2016
Sometimes My Tide is High
No one believes that I’m a Moonatic. That might be in part because it’s not a real word. You see I feel I needed to make up a word that does not imply insanity in the same way Lunatic does, but still gives rise (moonrise even) to the possibility of a periodic Luna influence of mild proportions.
If it is so mild, why then does it even matter? Well it matters to me because for years there have…
August 15, 2016
My take on the Perfection of Giving
My take on the Perfection of Giving
From what I understand there are 10 qualities under the Buddhist concept of ‘Perfection’ and ‘giving’ is one of them. The Perfection of Giving is the act of generosity without expectation. You give for the sake of giving. You see a need, so you help and you don’t get anything back. However, the irony of the Perfection of Giving is that you do get something back, but not if you are expecting it.…
June 25, 2016
Lonely?
The other day I heard a conversation on the radio about loneliness. In the program an expert was discussing the difference between being alone and being lonely. Many people rang in with great ideas about how to stay connected. This is particularly concerning for older people who are increasingly finding themselves isolated in our society. I didn’t get a chance to call in but I wanted to because…
May 18, 2016
15 Minutes
On my first visit to New York city I overheard the following exchange between a mother and daughter in Times Square.
Mother: I’ll meet you back here in 15 minutes.
Daughter: OK.
Mother: That’s my 15 minutes not your 15 minutes.
Daughter: OK
Mother: Because your 15 minutes is never 15 minutes.
Daughter: Ok
Mother: My 15 minutes is actually 15 minutes and when I say I’ll will be back here in 15…
May 12, 2016
More is less and less is more
My son is obsessed with getting a new smart phone. He’s 12 years-old, has recently started high school and was given a second-hand phone for emergency use. Most days now our conversations start with him asking me if he can have my phone or some other variation on any one of a number of ideas that result in him getting a newer phone.
‘Dad’, he says, ‘you’ve never ever bought me a phone before.’…
May 5, 2016
How long will our waffles take?
How long will our waffles take?
Have you ever taken kids to a café, restaurant or pretty much anywhere that has required them to wait for something? I recently took my daughter, son and nephew out for breakfast as a school holiday treat. They wanted Belgian waffles from their favourite café.
It was a little busy when we arrived, however we were seated quickly and ordered. It didn’t take long for the inevitable questions to…
April 14, 2016
Calm and Chaos
It’s a thin line between calm and chaos. I want to take that line and make it thick. Really really think. I want to make it so thick that chaos is held clearly and firmly on its side of the line.
As I write this I’m aware that I’m talking about chaos. It’s not going to be contained by a line, real or imagined. By its nature chaos is going to do its best to destroy the very idea of a line. Even…
