Why Not Admit It… You’re Racist
"What you are aware of you can control. What you are unaware of controls you." Anthony de Mello A good friend told me if I was going to write this, I had first better define racism. Which, as it turns out, is not such an easy thing to do. There are so many...
The Magical, Beautiful Improbability We Call Life
"Alright, draw cards." It's a steamy Friday afternoon in Barranquilla, Colombia. We're playing cards by our hotel pool. The game has ended in a tie, so we decide the winners would, as the above sentence indicates, draw cards. Kyle takes the top card and Rhys, an...
35 Bits of (Unsolicited) Advice to the Aspiring Home Cook
Cooking is an art form that involves all of our senses. We touch, smell, taste, listen, and see in order to produce something that nourishes ourselves and those we love. Beyond that, cooking requires planning, patience, and money, and it often involves the critique of...
Worst of What We Experience, Best of Who We Are
A little while back, I was talking to my friend Mike. We were, as I like to call it, "putting in the work" -- meaning we were talking about deep stuff. Goals. Insecurities. Fears. Mike asked me why I thought I couldn't commit in relationships. I said it is likely...
In Nothing, Everything
In nothing, everything. I try to remind myself of this as often as I can. I do this in two ways. The first is by reminding myself I know nothing. Not technically, but relatively. I know nothing about the meaning of life or what happens when we die. I know nothing...
Learn to Surf, Learn to Live
I'm a kook. Ain't no two ways about it. A little while back, I let go of my board in the water, dipped my head under and, not realizing another wave was coming, had my board came back and hit me directly in the head: So I don't think I write what I am...
Confidence is a Currency
Can you see me? Maybe it’s easier now. Now that your job isn’t so secure and the economy isn’t doing so well and the money isn’t flowing in. That’s usually how discovery makes its entrance. It likes to follow elimination. When you watch the news, can you feel me come...
5 Ways (Not Called Volunteering) to Live Less Selfishly
I believe there is a core to every person's personality. An unchangeable part of our character that carries over through the different seasons of our lives. While we might change how we dress or talk or maybe even act, this core part of us remains the same. Part of my...
Why Not Travel?
Note: This is Part 2 of a five-part series on why high school graduates in the United States should skip college. If you aren't young and you aren't planning to go to school, that’s cool. Please read on. There is value in this piece for anyone interested in traveling....
Why Not Skip College?
This is a post for any high-school or college-aged readers who are interested in doing something other than attending college. If this is you, be sure to check out parts 2, 3, 4 and 5 to the Why Not Skip College? series. Links to the other articles can be found at the...
Why Not Apprentice?
Note: This is Part 3 of a 5-Part series on why high school graduates should skip college. The idea is to present ideas to high-school and college-aged students who may be looking for an alternative to a 4 year university. If this is not you, that’s cool. Please read...
Discipline is A Muscle
Three Months At the beginning of this year, I made the decision to stop drinking alcohol for three months. From January to March of this year I did not drink. Aside from the obvious health benefits that come with not drinking, my biggest takeaway from this little...
People Make the Places
I have always been a hard learner. I am not the type to take your word for it if you tell me the pan is hot. I need to touch the pan, sear my finger, jump up and down screaming at how hot the fucking pan is, sheepishly look and chuckle with you as I agree that yes,...
Defense Wins Championships.
For even the casual sports fan, it's no secret that defense wins championships. In this year's Super Bowl, the New England Patriots held the high-flying St. Louis Rams to three points en route to victory. In 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles, who won the Super Bowl in a...
How to Have Better Conversations… In Just Two Words
"When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. If you listen, you may learn something new."Dalai Lama XIV The key to better conversations has everything to do with you and also very little to do with you. In order to have better conversations you need...
Why Not Flip?
"Sometimes you gotta throw yourself in the deep end."Sam Goody This one is for The 'Tucky. When is the last time you flipped? Not a house, not a cup and not your lid. I am talking about a gymnastics style front or back flip. Recently, a group of friends and I went to...
She’s Perfect.
I am not a writer. You are reading this on my brother’s blog. He and many other people in my life are much better at writing than I am. I have written for years, but it has always been for my eyes only. Writing is very personal for me and I tend to be very guarded...
Why Not You?
Two things. First, for the duration of this article I am going to be a dick. I am not a naturally sympathetic person, just ask my younger sister. The "Honest Asshole" is a role I can slide into easily. Second, it is important that you know the question posed in this...
The Importance of Difficult
No matter who you are, there is one thing that is a consistently clear measurement of whether you are pushing yourself in the right direction. Difficult. The more difficult something is for you, the better. I am aware this idea is counter to virtually every trend in...
So, What’s Good About It?
The more I travel, the more I recognize just how lucky I am. My being a part of three different demographic groups; white, male and middle-class US citizen; has allowed me opportunities that are not available to a majority of the world. As my uncle likes to say; if...
Why Not Vote?
I get it. I used to be just like you. What tripped me up was the wording in the Constitution Technically speaking, the 26th Amendment does read "The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older..." But those guys who wrote that...
An Argument in Six Parts: The Case Against Social Media.
I want to preface what I write by first taking a moment to address an important point. This article is not about the elimination of social media. I think we can all, in some way, acknowledge the obvious benefits that social media has. Online social platforms have...
Why Not Look Silly?
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." Epictetus Over the past year and a half, I have successfully learned to speak Spanish. I am in no way fluent, but I can hold my own. Aside from living in Spanish-speaking countries, I...
Why Not Stop Using “Why Not?”
"Sometimes, the advice you tell other people is the advice you need to follow." First off, if you have never visited this site before, what I am about to say might make zero sense to you. Feel free to stick along for the ride, but if not, that's cool too. Since...
Why Not Get Lost?
"Not all those who wander are lost." J.R.R. Tolkien If you are looking for a way to spice up your next date night, I have a great suggestion. It is fun. It is an exercise that helps to eliminate expectations and is fantastic practice for letting go of control. You can...
Why Not Die Content?
"The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live." - Morrie Schwartz, from the New York Times best-selling book Tuesdays With Morrie “A winner in life, not a loser in death.” - Russell French My grandfather died. I do not say this for...
Why Not Play The Photo Game?
"A selfie has more face and fewer feelings." - Amit Kalantri That photo. Yea, the one you just scrolled past... I took that picture in Patagonia. That's the homie Rufus checking out Mt. Fitz Roy in Argentina. It's my favorite picture from my trip. I can...
Why Not Stop Giving Presents?
“When I give, I give myself.” – Walt Whitman Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act — Proverbs 3:27 The plane lands. It taxis to the terminal and the passengers disembark. She waits in line at Immigration, passes...
Why Not Change It Up?
"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. And not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." - Walt Whitman I often think of a scene from the show "House of Cards" where Frank is talking with Remy. Frank reminds...
Why Not Listen To Hip-Hop?
"Well, hip-hop is what makes the world go 'round." - Snoop Dogg Hey Mom, I should have started this letter in the 6th grade while wearing my gray and white Allen Iverson shoes. I don’t suppose the prose will be all that different; I will try to keep things brief and...
Why Not Stop Giving Presents?
“When I give, I give myself.” – Walt Whitman The plane lands. It taxis to the terminal and the passengers disembark. She waits in line at Immigration, passes through Customs and follows the herds of fellow travelers to Baggage Claim. She grabs her luggage and, when...
Why Not Skip Church?
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act — Proverbs 3:27 This title is going to get me in trouble with my mom. Sorry mom. Hopefully you will read to the end and realize I mean well. I am going to get right to it. If you are...
Why Not Begin?
“Action breeds confidence. Inaction breeds doubt and fear.” Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People “Gnarly tattoo,” I said. “Yea, mate. It’s me granddad,” he said. The tattoo was a black and white picture of an elderly man in full Navy uniform. The...