A week ago, my best friend graduated from college. A few days ago, my sister graduated from high school. As they talk about the fear and the excitement, I think back to when I was last in those uncomfortable shoes: transitioning from from one wonderful accomplishment into the vast unknown, commonly referred to as the… Continue Reading
the subjective perspective of an analytical optimist
Author Archives: Erin McNaughton
The Passion of Novices
Lately, I have been trying to figure out the direction in which my life is heading. Part of the learning process has been looking at what I am most passionate about. In examining where I invest my time and energy, I’ve found that I’m drawn to novices: people who are just getting started, but are… Continue Reading
Disclaimer: Not Applicable to Everyone
I was extremely naïve in my youth. I still am, to a certain extent. From the age of 11 to 18, Urban Dictionary was what my GPS is to me now: a complete lifesaver. In sixth grade, a classmate once asked me if I knew what a bong was, as we shuffled from one assignment to another.… Continue Reading
We Are the Light
“We are the seeds of the stars, and our goal as human beings is to take the galaxy of complex particles that compose our bodies and let them shine. Gloriously shine! But this land is somber, vacant of the passion for the here and now. We walk around as the silhouettes of the past or… Continue Reading
The Cocktail Party of Life
There are many truths that permeate our lives. Some we embrace or adapt to, others we ignore, and still more we fight to conceal and destroy. How often do we see on the news that the victim of a house fire had died of a slit throat, rather than suffocation? How often have you entered a public restroom and… Continue Reading
Fixing Things That Aren’t Exactly Broken
“What is that horrendous sound?” my mom asked as she watched me pull into the driveway. I scrunched my face, as if dulling my other senses would heighten my auditory perception. As she pointed towards the tires and muttered something about “clanking” and “scraping,” I scoffed. In a small mouse-like voice, the car had been squeaking, on… Continue Reading
How Technology is Revolutionizing Human Behavior
Driving to work, I realized that my phone was still on my desk charging. I spent about ten seconds musing whether I could go nine hours without my social tethering device. No, the answer was a definite no. I made a U-turn, grabbed my phone, and all was well in the world. We live in an… Continue Reading
I was going to write, but instead I saved Jimmy
For several weeks now, I’ve been feeling sick and uninspired. It’s difficult for me to write simply for the sake of writing, so my spirits lifted when my week was filled with the same recurring, writable theme. I am always trying to understand people–figuring out motives, guessing next moves, and jumping out of the way… Continue Reading
Finding Calm Amid Chaos
In the seventh grade, my teacher would play Enya during our math tests. I don’t know why that feels so profound. I’m not sure why I still remember that. Perhaps that experience taught me that tranquilty can be found admist anxiety; the two are not exclusive, as common sense would have us believe. Within the eye of the storm… Continue Reading