I like to think of myself as a modern man, without a need for a lot of ritual and ceremony in my life. I’m content to let science explain how the universe works, and base my beliefs on the observable behavior of things. Still I find myself wanting to believe in a system that compensates me when things don’t go as expected. This cosmic insurance is the spiritual hedge fund we call faith; the belief in all things supernatural. But I know that looking above for answers will only keep me from looking within. (more…)

The Chinese say losing something small prevents losing something big. This has become my mantra of late. And my wife reminds me of it when I obsess about forgetting my sunglasses at the airport. She’s right; this has probably kept me from losing an eye. If it sounds superstitious, I prefer to think of it as folk wisdom. Losing something small causes us to be more mindful and appreciative of the big things we have. (more…)