Between the Lines Gatherings 4: Whiplash
This month, at Between the Lines Gatherings, we explored themes of passion, ambition, perseverance, violence, potential, and boundaries through the film Whiplash.
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HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN YOUR OLDEST FRIEND?
A few months ago, I was watching a talk show when a guest shared an unusual way of assessing people.
Whenever they met someone new, they would ask a simple question:
“How long have you known your oldest friend?”
The Path of Seeking
Some books don’t transform your life overnight. Instead, they deepen ideas that have quietly accompanied you for years. Seekers by Paul Dunion was one of those books for me.
What initially drew me in was the title itself. There is a well-known Sufi saying: “Not all who seek will find, but all who find are seekers.” For much of my adult life, I have been fascinated by the idea that life is less about reaching definitive answers and more about remaining open to discovery. The title felt like an invitation I couldn’t ignore.
Finding Meaning Through Loss
Life has a remarkable way of reminding us that we are not in control.
Not long ago, I sat down to write, with a clear plan for the evening. Then a message arrived: a dear friend’s father had passed away unexpectedly. Within the hour, I found myself at the hospital, standing alongside people I care about. In moments like these, there are rarely words that can ease the pain. Yet simply being present—sharing silence, grief, and humanity—often matters more than anything we could say.
BUT HR WANTS IT THAT WAY!
How much easier this sentence makes the manager’s job at some moments. Or so it seems at that moment. I have had the opportunity to work in the HR realm for many years to know that human resources desks witness requests and even complaints much more than appreciation and thanks. It was a sentence I heard indirectly or directly many times; “But HR wants it that way!”. We can guess what happens before “but” in the sentence; “It feels wrong to me too, but…
WHAT HAVE YOU GIVEN TO THIS LIFE?
I have never considered myself deeply immersed in the world of art.
My relationship with it is simpler than that.
I visit museums and exhibitions. I stand in front of paintings and wonder about the people who created them. I think about the eras they lived in, the stories behind their work, and the emotions their creations awaken in me.