The Cost of Chasing Safety
I was sitting in my truck the other morning, with my hands on the steering wheel. I was waiting for the frost to melt off the window. The light from my headlights was muted by the crystal kaleidoscope in front…
Essays
All the Things I Didn’t Become
Sometimes I sit in the truck for a minute before going inside. The engine clicks as it cools, the dashboard lights fade, and the day lingers in the quiet between places. That brief moment, sitting alone in my truck, gives…
Grace Camouflaged in Human Imperfection
I was hanging folding chairs in the church on the rolling chair racks that were usually huddled in the corner of the large open space. Voices drifted in from the serving area where the smell of the funeral luncheon mixed…
What Is Truth, Really?
“How are you doing?” “I’m getting dumber and uglier by the day, but there’s naught that can be done about it.” You probably think I’m joking, and I am. Mostly. It’s a line I’ve used for years to see how…
You Don’t Have to Become Someone Else
Four computer screens glow in front of me with dozens of programs open, each one demanding something else I haven’t finished yet. My youngest son sits fifteen feet away, playing a board game meant for two to four people by…
BLASTED, BALDEST, or STABLED
If you’ve ever found yourself standing in front of the fridge wondering how you got there, you’re not alone. Most people don’t wander into the pantry because they’re hungry. They wander in because they’re BLASTED — Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stressed…
When You Finally Hear Yourself Think
A few days ago, I sat at my desk next to a glass of Diet Dr. Pepper that had been there since the day before. It was warm and flat. The house was quiet. Two of the three kids still…
The Most Ordinary Kind of Miracles
After most of my Saturday morning runs in the summer, I end up in the same place—sitting on the grass in front of our home, leaning back on my hands, catching my breath. The sun is usually high by then…
You Don’t Have to Keep Proving It
In June 2025, my Medium earnings exploded. I’d been averaging about $14 a month for more than a year, and then suddenly three of my essays were boosted. The total for the month came to $213.76. For a few weeks…
When Your Ego Wants a Microphone
I was a first-year college student, sitting in Chemistry 101 at the University of Utah, feeling unusually prepared. I had taken AP Chemistry in high school but hadn’t taken the exam because I didn’t feel quite ready. So this introductory…
When the Loudest Voices Say the Least
We were sitting around the family room, just getting ready for our family scripture study, but somehow got on the topic of dating with our fifteen-year-old son. It started out light-hearted enough, with stories from my wife and me about…
Can You Measure the Depth of Your Humanity?
I don’t remember her first name, just that her last name was Caál. I also remember that people often spoke it with a kind of reverence, almost like you were naming something that had become part of your own foundation…
The Myth of Mass Appeal
A few weeks ago, I finished writing something I was proud of. For me, writing has always been a kind of therapy. I’ve managed to get a few followers on Medium, but most months I don’t earn enough to cover…
Are You Shouting Into or Listening to the Wind?
The wind was coming hard out of the south, and I was running straight into it. It caught in my shirt, filled my ears, and made the southbound stretch toward that “Hilbert’s Hotel” stop sign feel longer than it already…
The Attention Economy of False Gurus
It didn’t hit me like a revelation. There was no dramatic confrontation, and no Discord message or email I decided at the last second not to send. It was just a Thursday morning, and someone I’d followed for a long…
