Category: Personal

Introversion in the Age of Interactive Entertainment

by Bart Leahy, posted in introversion, Orlando, Personal, Technology

Fair warning: this is a longer-than-usual entry. Feel free to read the short version and get on with your day. 

There’s no doubt about it: our forms of entertainment are becoming increasingly realistic and interactive. Video games, for example, have advanced at a tremendous rate, creating ever more detailed environments for humans to play. Theme parks, too, are not just creating environments but putting visitors in the middle of the action. This presents possibilities but also problems for the dedicated introvert. Continue reading “Introversion in the Age of Interactive Entertainment” →

The Introvert’s Guide to Orlando: VIII Restaurants Designed for Extroverts

by Bart Leahy, posted in introversion, Orlando, Personal

I try to have lunch with my dad once a week. Today we ended up at a restaurant that did not work for us because it was wired for extroverts. I thought we’d give the new place–Bartaco–a shot because Dad knew where it was, and what the heck, the name “Bartaco,” seemed like a big message that Bart Must Have Tacos. While the food was good, the setup was not good for a couple of introverts. There’s a lot of that around Orlando. Continue reading “The Introvert’s Guide to Orlando: VIII Restaurants Designed for Extroverts” →

Working Through Depression

by Bart Leahy, posted in better future, Personal, Philosophy

Life doesn’t always go the way we want. You might be going through emotional pain or upset. I’ve been there, and after multiple bouts with depression, I developed a set of habits that–if it doesn’t prevent The Suck from getting to me, at least shortens the amount of time I suffer through it. What follows is my approach; it might or might not work for you–and if you’re in serious trouble, I recommend a therapist. But for those times between visits to the shrink, you might find this helpful. Continue reading “Working Through Depression” →

Leaving a Better World

by Bart Leahy, posted in Personal, Philosophy

I’ve restarted my habit of starting off my morning by scribbling in my “morning pages,” as suggested by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way. The question I posed to myself today was, “If you have no intention of becoming someone’s partner or father, what do you plan to do for the good of yourself or your species?” I didn’t expect many answers from myself, but there are options available to the single and the childless to give themselves purpose. Below are a few suggestions. Continue reading “Leaving a Better World” →

What I Read vs. What I Write

by Bart Leahy, posted in Fiction, Personal

This week I picked up a collection of short fiction by my favorite author, Poul Anderson. Anderson’s writing (he passed on in 2001) caused me to reflect on the difference between the types of fiction I read and the types of stuff that I actually write. Anderson, along with Robert A. Heinlein, Jerry Pournelle, and Ernest Hemingway, are all of a type, in that they all tend to write about bold, adventurous men happy in the outdoors and capable of wresting from the world what they want with their bare hands. It’s fun, energetic storytelling, and their works have given me much enjoyment over the years. Yet their works diverge greatly from what I write when given time to myself. Why? Continue reading “What I Read vs. What I Write” →

Continuous Improvement Starts from Inside

by Bart Leahy, posted in careers, introversion, Personal, Philosophy

I’ve been on a self-improvement kick lately. Organizations go through phases like this occasionally, and for many of the same reasons: the ones in charge observe that quality is falling off, people are getting slack in their adherence to standards, or maybe they just want to make a good place better. Since I’m on this kick myself right now, I thought I’d share a few thoughts from my quest to Build a Better Bart. Continue reading “Continuous Improvement Starts from Inside” →

United Airlines and its Dragged-Off Passenger

by Bart Leahy, posted in Personal, Philosophy
While the #NewUnitedAirlinesMottos meme is getting some traction on Twitter (and I’ve contributed my share as well), I’d like to add a few thoughts about the recent incident with a gentleman being removed forcibly from a United Airlines flight. My perspective is that of a long-time airline traveler and a family member of half a dozen people who all used to work in the airline industry at one time or another.

Continue reading “United Airlines and its Dragged-Off Passenger” →

Self-Acceptance vs. Self-Improvement

by Bart Leahy, posted in introversion, Personal, Philosophy, Uncategorized

If you tried to follow every piece of meme-based “wisdom” on Facebook, you’d soon find yourself in an utter dither about what to do with yourself. “Out of sight, out of mind” wars with “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” “Continuous improvement” dukes it out in your head with “Be kind to yourself and accept yourself as you are.” I’ll take some time today to untangle that second knot. Your approach could vary, but then that’s part of reality, isn’t it?

Continue reading “Self-Acceptance vs. Self-Improvement” →