I will publish a number of new posts in few days. I wanted a vacation from thinking and writing but—after almost 50 years since my higher education—your work becomes such a part of you that it is hard to disengage. I will continue to intersperse some previous posts too but there is too much happening in my mind and in the world to quit writing new posts. Hopefully, some may benefit from my musings.
Sure, I’m getting a lot enlightened by your blog, especially your summaries of books, articles etc on the meaning of life. Thanks a lot and please keep on writing. I appreciate it a lot.
thanks for the kind words.
Thought you might like to know that a well known department chairman, teacher and mentor, has passed away. Vincent Punzo , of St. Louis University, passed on May 6,2020 at the age of 86. Author of Reflective Naturalism Dr. Punzo spent his entire academic career at St. Louis University. He was solidly behind my admission to SLU’s Ph.D. program, even though I had little formal preparation in academic philosophy. Impressed that I had teaching experience and good grasp of the German language, Dr. Punzo admitted me to full time study on a teaching fellowship. I am not at all sure my studies would ever have gotten off the ground absent the faith he showed in me back in the late 1980s. I will always be grateful. Rest in Peace.
thanks for the comments Diane, although I have a very different take on the man.
I believe someone will always benefit from your writings, and that of any thinker worth their salt. If you think about it, with all this technology, more than ever it is worth writing. Your article might be read by someone 300 years from now. I sometimes read books written by completely obscure people who lived hundreds of years ago, and longer. Sometimes it is enough a single sentence, to make an impact. To you it might have not, and you might have thought it wasn’t anything extraordinary, but to the reader might have a special significance, that even the reader cannot fully explain. But he will remember the thought. For example, a few weeks ago I was reading the biography of an obscure American musician and music teacher. In the biography there is written that as he was dying, his last words were (as directed to his wife): “I will be waiting for you. If you don’t come, there won’t be any heaven for me!”.
This thought made an impact on me. I am not sure why; maybe in it I see several of the things I have been thinking about, for example, that yes, there are some people who really care for each other, and what a great thing this really is, although it must be people in a fortunate minority, or that, “in the end, every one of us must stand alone” (I don’t want to nauseate you with the name of the author anymore 🙂 or at least I’ll try not to).