On Turning 65

Leonardo da Vinci, Studies of an Old Man and a Youth, c. 1500-1505

A while ago, on January 2, 2011, I wrote a reflection piece called Reverse Resolutions – 11 Reflections on 2011. I suppose it’s normal to reflect like this on days of passage and that would include a 65^th birthday.  It’s hard to believe that last article was 10 years ago already, but so that goes as we age as well. Don’t worry, I’m not going to burden you, dear reader, with 65 reflections on the occasion, but taking stock of a few things is not a bad idea from time to time.   These are not resolutions or revelations that I woke up one morning realizing after an epiphany – it’s just things I’ve been thinking about lately.

“Ojo Taylor Returns”: Interview #2 in Down The Line

One of the most widely-read posts on my little site is the first interview I did for Down The Line magazine in 2010 where I publicly discussed not being able to accept the tenets of any version of Christianity any longer.  In 2017 I was approached by Doug Peterson to do a follow-up interview, published in July, 2017.  Here is that interview. 

The Bitter Truth Podcast

I had this really fun discussion with longtime friend and musical troublemaker Abe Abdelhadi, wherein we liken leaving religion to death by a thousand paper cuts while increasing compassion for those we strongly disagree with.  We also consider the critically important ways to sprinkle correctly pigeon blood while asking, “This is the book we get?!” 

My Last Interview Before Coming Out

MySpace was still a thing in July, 2009 when I received a request for an online interview.  I was in a very strange and transitional place.  My Christian house of cards had suddenly fallen and I had just realized that I could no longer consider myself a believer in any meaningful sense although I still had questions; lots of questions. I had told nobody about my current thinking. 

Five Things I’m Grateful For

I never play well with these viral Facebook things, but when my daughter tags me and when it’s about gratitude, well, I simply must relent. It comes at a fertile time too,

Six Things I Learned While Hiking Waterfalls

Dark Hollow Falls

Having just returned to Virginia from Phoenix, and perhaps because I was missing the Pacific ocean this summer, I found myself pining for water. With nothing pressing on my schedule I decided to spend the weekend hiking some of the waterfall trails in the Shenandoah National Park.  

I Am Your Father, IV – Our House

This has been a good old house.  My family moved in when I was 14 and my father still lives here.  Every once in a while he talks about downsizing and moving to a smaller, more manageable place.  He never will. 

I Am Your Father, III – Your Attention, Please.

I often feel that apparently unrelated events in my life seem to converge around certain points in time around specific themes.  I don’t think there’s anything supernatural about that. I think we

God, Cigarettes and Sadness

I felt like I had lost my best friend.  Some of my friends had told me they had felt the same way when they went through it.  It didn’t stop me though.  I knew what I had to do and there comes a point where enough is enough.

Love, Not Religion, Is the Big Umbrella

The Pope made quite a stir last week when he said that even atheists are redeemed and can meet Catholics on the bridge of good works and love. To a former Catholic like me