I have spent much time over the week reflecting deeply on the idea of truth. I have been reading from and listening to many great minds articulate truth in such a way that I have come to realize I don’t know much about truth at all. The bold and beautiful thing about this discovery is that when it comes down to it, none of us know much about truth. And that’s a good thing. It means that we have an... Read more
Recorded Conversations started out as a vision on a sketch pad. The idea was to create space for connection—authentic connection—through conversation. I was inspired by a talk Theodore Zeldin gave. His vision for the future involved inventing a new civilization—a conversational civilization that bettered the lives of all humanity. He said, “The only way we can think about the future, and have a new vision of the future, is to have a new vision of the past. We must look... Read more
I like to look to Jesus as a model for many things. There are so many ways that I hope to imitate Jesus. I have also said in the past, that I thought Jesus was an asshole. And the reason that I said this was to validate my own behavior. If there was a way that I could take something from the Bible, something Jesus did, and use it to my advantage to justify shitty behavior that I extend to... Read more
What do we “do” about Trump voters and supporters? What should be done about all of those in attendance at the D.C. rally last week? What shall we “do” about all of those that we have individually and collectively tattooed with labels that separate them from us? I have seen calls for “cleansing” to take place. Social media moguls have decided upon censorship for those who don’t think like “us.” And too many social media posts have been abundantly detailed... Read more
I recently heard someone describe Jesus as the “humiliated savior.” I quickly thought about how, as recorded in the Bible, Jesus would share space with the Pharisees. He did this, I assume, knowing full well that the intention of their line of questioning was merely to catch him in some “gotcha moment” and have reason to charge him. Yet he listened to their questions and proclamations. He listened to them. And after listening to them, he would give them a... Read more
My friend was in D.C. for the rally. I had been watching the protests on live feeds wondering if I would see him in the crowds. I was angry and disappointed when he told me he would be in attendance. I had a moment of surrealism take hold of me. Perhaps it was shocking. Either way, I had a hard time receiving the information and I said things to him that I really didn’t mean. I reflected, calmed down, and... Read more
Today is my 12-year anniversary with my husband Cory. I remember when I was younger, I prayed that my grandma would live to see me get married. She battled MS all my life, and when I was in my mid-twenties, she had a fall that left me wondering if she would recover. Each year that passed, I would pray that God would let her hang out one more year, just wait for me to get married. And she did! This... Read more
Sticks and stones May break my bones But names will never hurt me I was brought up with this nursery rhyme and it served me well. As a child, my mother would rehearse it to me whenever I complained of elementary gossip. To a child, it seemed like a remarkable tool that shielded me from the damage of a word. If I simply decided it didn’t have power over me, it wouldn’t. Similarly, there was another cutesy rhyme my mother... Read more
What would happen if we learned to be more forgiving and less judgmental? Would politicians be more confident in admitting they lied, deceived, and overall messed up? What if we were quicker to dole out praise than criticism? Would confidence grow within the minds of the youth? Would suicide rates decrease? If we offered a hug instead of a missile, could we end all wars? Could that reignite intimacy among nations rather than hostility? What if we were more willing... Read more
My erotic epiphany has not been my own. Perhaps inside, I knew this and that is why I have been reeling with anxiety and fear. The anxiety is most prevalent during my psychedelic sessions. I started noticing it around the 4th trip. When it surges, it feels as if every cell in my body is pooling up between my lungs and my nose, waiting to burst out. But I somehow create a fortress around it to contain it. I won’t... Read more
Danielle Kingstrom
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