The News
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- Written by John Michael Thornton
- Category: family
I am celebrating Pride this year by caring for my husband as he recovers from neck surgery and I am extremely grateful for what the LGBTQ+ Pride movement has achieved. When Joe and I met it was still illegal for us to marry. If he had needed surgery or ended up in the hospital when only family was allowed to visit, I would have been denied entry. I would have had to hope some caring soul would break the rules for me – risking their job – to let me see, comfort, and care for the man I love.
Blessedly, the rules have changed. We can marry. We are legally a family. Change and progress keeps happening; just this month the Supreme Court ruled that employees cannot be fired for their sexual orientation. We are still fighting for equality, but it keeps getting better.
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- Written by John Michael Thornton
- Category: magic
Psychometry is a strange ability that can take you by surprise. I rarely practice psychometry, and I don’t think I have ever used it professionally, but sometimes it gives you unexpected glimpses. Today I was repacking a box of stuff from my grandmother – old recipes, family pictures, a partial genealogy and a few of my Grandfather’s personal effects and an old pocketknife caught my eye and I thought I’d toss it in my desk drawer, for those times I need a knife and can’t find mine. I was stopped in mid movement by a rush of warmth and strength, a feeling of hands wearing the handle smooth with routine tasks and the warmth of rattling in a pocket. Layered over that was my grandmother opening letters and packages before putting the knife away.
I barely knew my maternal grandfather, he died when I was four, but It was an unexpectedly perfect moment to feel his presence again.
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- Written by John Michael Thornton
- Category: family
It was December 21st, the winter solstice. It was a bit chilly, but bright and sunny when I took my morning constitutional in the early afternoon.
 Leia |
 Finn |
 Poe |
I decided to take a slightly different street than normal and just a few blocks away from home I saw a brown and white puppy sitting on the double yellow lines in the middle of the street. He was barely a handful and looked up at me with blue eyes. I picked him up and looked around, hoping to see where he was from and saw two more laying in a spot of sunlight on the grass by the street. A few minutes latter a car pulled in a few houses away and I asked the man if he knew whose puppies they were.
I was told the mom didn’t want them anymore, Leia in particular was so thin you could see her ribs. Apparently the man who owned her was older and couldn’t, or didn't want to, take care of puppies. The neighbors were trying to get the pound to come and pick them up, but it was close to Christmas and no one had come to get them yet. He said he had taken one in already, but it we wanted a puppy we should take it, cuz nobody wanted them.
I sat on the grass with three puppies for a few minutes and then sent Joe my location and the text, “I need you too get your shoes and coat on and come to me.”
Soon he came walking up the street and said, “So we have puppies?”
We have three bright and adorable little puppies, two boys and a girl, about three months old and growing fast. Their names are Leia, Finn and Poe.
They are absolutely perfect.
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- Written by John Michael Thornton
- Category: Growing Pains
Please care more.
What ever you care about in this life, care about it deeply. Care enough to show up, make and effort, and maybe embarass yourself. Care about people, whether you know them or not. Care about ideas, art, pop culture, politics, injustice, and getting more people to compost. Find the things in this world that make your heart sing!
What you care about, what you are passionate about, is what makes you human. It is what makes you alive and vibrant. Nothing is more depressing and dehumanizing than apathy, than not caring. Nothing is more corrosive to this world than not caring.
People who care deeply get things done. People who are passionate change the world. There are lots of people who are scared of change, who are afraid of passion – their own and other people’s. They will tell you not to care, that your caring doesn’t matter, that your passion is stupid and wrong.
This year, as every year, people are going to tell you to care less. Care less about your obscure hobbies, music, art, and tv. You will be asked, “Why do you like that?” and “Why are you so upset?” You will be told that something you are passionate about doesn’t matter or is weird.
Caring isn’t cool.
The things you care about aren’t cool.
What you care about is weird.
You will hear it from the media, society, social media, family, and friends. You may even hear it from your own internalised fear and judgemental self.
Please ignore these people. Please ignore these negative voices.
Do not believe them.
This year don't be afraid to care deeply, wildly and intensly.