Deep Something

How Trump-Era Policies and State Legislation Are Harming LGBTQ+ Americans

May 31, 2025May 31, 2025 B. John 947 Views 0 Comments LGBTQ, republicans, Non-Binary, gay, Harm, Transgender, Trump

A recent Pew Research Center report (Feb. 2025) found that a staggering 81% of LGBTQ adults expect Trump’s policies to harm gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Among transgender respondents, 88% expect negative effects. These fears are grounded in experience: during his first term, Trump rolled back protections for trans students, banned transgender people from military service, and allowed discrimination under the guise of religious freedom. In his second term, the pace and intensity have only increased.

Culture Featured Stoicism

The Obstacle Is the Way: Facing the Future When the Road Changes

May 30, 2025May 30, 2025 B. John 1000 Views 2 Comments Stoics, Stoicism, Job, Obstacles, Challenges, Encouragement

This entry is part 3 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

So this is where I stand: older, yes, but not done. Not stuck. Just at the next bend in the road. It’s not the one I expected. But I’m learning, little by little, to see it not as a detour but as a direction. If you’re in a similar place, wondering if you’re too late, too tired, too tangled in the “should haves,” let me offer this: You are not behind. You are not disqualified. You are standing right where your next beginning begins. “The obstacle is the way.”

Culture Deep Thoughts Featured Religion Stoicism

The Gift of Memento Mori

May 28, 2025May 30, 2025 B. John 3147 Views 3 Comments Friends, Family, life, Friendship, Memento Mori

This entry is part 2 of 50 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

That phrase—Memento Mori—means “remember that you must die.” It’s an old Stoic meditation, not meant to provoke dread but to awaken us… and remind us not to sleepwalk through our lives. The Stoic philosopher Seneca put it this way: “Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing.”