Michael T. Starks

Category: Society

  • Power Outage

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    I woke up this morning to a realization that the power was out. My CPAP machine wasn’t running, and I wasn’t breathing as easy as I otherwise might have been. Soon, I confirmed that I wasn’t able to turn on any lights. Next, I looked outside and realized that our entire neighborhood was dark. Not…

  • Comfortable

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    Throughout most of human history, most humans have not been very comfortable most of the time. Humans want to be comfortable. In fact, much progress is made in an attempt to make our lives more comfortable. The child mortality rate is a good example. Less than a century ago, there were about a 140 deaths…

  • Doing vs. Being

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    When it comes to doing vs. being, I’m more of a Doing kind of a guy. I believe that just about every human is worth loving just for Being alive. Still, I admire the people in this world who manage to DO significant things. Raising kids is significant. Teaching and leading can be significant. Playing…

  • Birth of Ideas

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    I love the feeling when a new idea emerges from my tired, old mind. Call it inspiration. Call it an “ah-ha” moment. It’s not everyday that we come up with something new. That is, something new to us. It’s entirely possible that others have had very similar thoughts before. Today, while taking a walk, I…

  • Trickle-Down Nastiness

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    While we’ve learned that trickle-down economics doesn’t work, it seems that trickle-down nastiness does. When the President of the United States treats others poorly, many people in our society seem to think that makes it okay. We often look to our leaders to demonstrate the best qualities of human nature. Not all leaders live up…

  • Energy vs. Wisdom

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    Older people have experience. They may even have a bit of wisdom. Younger people have energy. They may be able to punch through walls that appear to be unbreakable. Some things are best handled by younger people, and some things are best handled by older people. Our world needs both energy and wisdom. Of course,…

  • Vacations

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    I’m sure I’ve said this before. Vacations are so important. Certainly for me and probably for most people. Even if you have a dream job, chances are it’s still going to be stressful from time to time. Being able to unplug, being able to relax, and experiencing something new is good for us. When I’m…

  • Hypocrisy

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    What a fun word! According to Oxford Languages, hypocrisy is defined as “the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform; pretense.” We see it everywhere. An organization may “claim” that they value respect. It’s hard to believe this claim when the organization’s leaders consistently treat…

  • Energy Management

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    A lot of people talk about Time Management. Often, this misses the point. While there are many books and websites with good advice on how we can use our time wisely, few people mention the need to manage our energy. By this, I mean that it’s hard to be super productive when we’re bored. In…

  • The Purpose of Writing

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    Many people write to influence others. While all writing may be at least somewhat influential, that’s not my primary goal. Most often, I write to understand myself. Writing is a form of thinking. If we’re not able to clearly communicate our ideas to others, it’s unlikely that we clearly understand them ourselves. The act of…