In this episode Dara tries to thread the needle between domestic and personal crises and those of a much larger, humanitarian nature. Taking in current events in Gaza as well as historic instances of grievous abuse by Catholic institutions in Ireland, the question of truth seems to be of primary importance when a larger power treats others with such callous impunity and indifference to the consequences.
In this episode, prompted by his cat and dog, Dara is considering the idea of essentialism. He talks about core dispositions and the perennial pitching of nature against nurture. He argues that there is very little that is not in the mix when it comes to how our identities emerge. He shares his thoughts about his daughter on this stage of her journey and wonders about her essential leaning.
Assembling the Broke Existentialist Army, or Who I Am is Who my Child Is! – Episode 170 Read More »
In this episode, Dara is scratching his head over the idea of brotherhood. One of four sons, he feels he has a reasonably reliable perspective on his own experience of brotherhood, one he admits was not, nor continues to be, straightforward.
Understanding Brotherhood, or Why ‘Bro’ is not a Dirty Word! – Episode 146 Read More »
In this episode, Dara reflects on some Jewish insights into the Israel-Palestine conflict which he found both helpful and inspiring. He posits that in the act of dehumanising Palestinians, Israel ends up dehumanising itself, which is its own kind of tragedy.
Don’t Come Out Until You’re Sorry, or To Whom Do You Need to Atone? – Episode 131 Read More »
In this episode Dara delves into the places we carry and store our pain. He looks at how unaddressed wounds can wield a disproportionate amount of power over us and how that relates to our fear of uncomfortable places.
Snowflakes, Pain Storage, and the Power of Subjectivity – Episode 36 Read More »
In this episode Dara is prompted by the recent violent attack in Waukesha, as well as other car and truck attacks and shooting atrocities, to reflect on how we view the individuals who perpetrate such acts. His train of thought takes in cultural stereotyping, systemic social failure, and the expression of pain in both positive and negative ways. Newton’s Cradle – the metal ball office toy – is offered as a metaphor for profound pain and alienation finding its equal and opposite expression in extreme acts.
Acting Out in the Extreme, or When Private Pain becomes Public Tragedy – Episode 27 Read More »
In this episode I get stuck into bad behaviour and why we tolerate it in ourselves towards the people closest to us. I reflect on the dangers of unchecked parenting and the legacies of unaddressed trauma, and the difficulty of putting that stuff to bed. Finally, I use the Man Cold as a starting point
Slurp! or How I learned to love licking (kind of) – Episode 05 Read More »
“We shape the earth to suit us. Dolphins were land animals once and they went down into the sea and they said to the ocean – ‘shape me to suit you‘. I was in Connemara recently and I saw a dolphin and, oh, the curve of it was as beautiful as any two bars of
It’s only natural! Read More »
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