Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc. I remember sitting in the classroom on what may have been my first day, but I can’t be sure. It was Miss Tobin’s class, and I must have been only five years old. The tables were flecked grey, like lino […]
Society & Culture
Welcome to the article category society and culture. Read articles and essays on the the role of work in society and culture over the centuries
The Problem With Society
As concisely as possible, this is the most significant contributing factor to the problem with society. It is the fundamental risk to the survival of our species. I’m not optimistic in the short term, but in say one thousand years if humans are still around, I am, in fact, optimistic. I’d like to think that […]
Oíche Shamhna
A little background on the Celtic New Year festival that went global Millions of children and adults around the world celebrate Oiche Shamhna or Halloween every year, but perhaps few are aware of, or indeed care about, its ancient Celtic origins. Here in Ireland when I was a kid, we’d call to the doors of […]
More Time For What?
As I contemplated dropping my van to the mechanic this morning, I considered how I might get back home as fast as possible. I could get the missus to follow me in the family car. I’d save time, get more work done, achieve more than I would if I walked. Really? To what end? It’s […]
Too Much of A Good Thing
It’s interesting. The old saying “too much of a good thing” is prominent for me at the moment. From the extra condition that sits around my waistline, to the over-enthusiastic tendency towards political correctness, and the cultural upheaval the US, collapse from the peak of excess seems to be an unavoidable condition of the human […]
How Quiet It Has Become
Their song It seemed louder and deeper than before. Like as if every branch of every tree held a blackbird. Someone told me that because there is so little traffic on the roads and less human activity generally, it means the birds can complete their entire song, not just a small part.
A Time To Fight
It seems to me, that when others require your compliance, be it for what they consider the greater good or indeed their own good, they are prepared to forgo their humanity. The rules, bureaucracy take precedence.