Author: kurt@kurtbell.com

Does freewill exist in the land of the free?  One must first define “freewill” before attempting a proper answer, otherwise, confusion and assumptions could strangle any attempt at clarity and understanding. Superficially, it could be assumed that freewill is not only our birthright, but also our nature, for we are obviously constantly making decisions, and… Continue reading Freewill and Freedom

Memories of childhood repeatedly drift into my consciousness as I run the tractor through the  overwhelming growth.  The landscape is rather different now, having long ago been cleared of the tangle of Christmas Berry trees.  It is now a large pasture that has been taken over by weeds and small trees, which I am attempting… Continue reading Memories Mowed

Perhaps the final nail has been driven into the coffin of our democracy. The deterioration of our country didn’t happen overnight, and certainly the Republicans are not the only ones to blame. They, however, are the ones now bringing it to a quick death. They are blatant in their attempt to silence the opposition, and… Continue reading Egregious

The decline of our democracy in the US is not only disheartening, but has also been a wake-up call to the fact that it was never quite the democracy that many thought it was. We have a long history of disenfranchising groups of people in this country, and my own ignorance to the extent that… Continue reading Voting

Perhaps it is the case that every generation believes that they are living during a special time. These past 100 years have brought considerable change and what is generally considered great progress; I could easily imagine people during this recent past believing that they were living during the most amazing time in history. There were… Continue reading Love and Fear

Our country is experiencing incredible turmoil, the likes of which I have not seen in my lifetime.  I was too young to comprehend the war in Vietnam, and I was born during the final years of the Civil Rights Movement; it’s possible that those periods manifested the same mood of fear and hate that is… Continue reading Not West Wing

The cool water flowing over me was extremely soothing, and when I positioned my head just right, my ear would be filled with the water, muting the sounds of the world around me, magnifying my other senses, in particular the feel of the warm concrete sidewalk below me and the smell of car exhaust coming… Continue reading Privileged

We are in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic, as well as major political and social upheaval. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has gained great momentum in the wake of George Floyd being killed by police. This has led to discourse, disagreements, and digressions within my extended family and some of our friends. We… Continue reading Rights and Wrongs