Jeff Gauger

My Four Horsemen Our dark times summon dark thoughts. And, as much as I'd prefer to write with lightness, I often can't. Not today.

The four horsemen of my apocalypse.

Soundtracks of Memory Soundtracks move and entertain me, as they do for many of us. Here are four that have stayed with me through the years.

SOUNDTRACKS OF MEMORY: Thomas Gunning shares four of his favorite albums. What are your favorites?

Colossus of Chaos I've consumed news for decades – for fun and purpose. Now my news habit has changed, and I grieve for what once was.

He's ruined the news.

A Man and His Toys So, the America First president is playing little boy games with unforeseen big boy consequences. Again. And why?

At 30-Second Read, by Thomas Gunning.

A Necessary Indulgence I'd wanted a fancy safety razor for ages but had to use up my stash of plastic disposables. And then came the day.

At last ...

Necessary Bruising It's a treat I can't afford often. But when I do indulge, I enjoy a healing activity as old as recorded history.

NECESSARY BRUISING: It's a treat I can't afford often. But when I do indulge, I enjoy a healing activity as old as recorded history. 30secondread.com/healing-mass...

By Thomas Gunning at 30-Second Read.

Belly Button Math We'll address almost any topic at 30-Second Read – even the super, mega, very important subject of innies versus outies.

My latest at 30-Second Read.

Aerial Collisions I tried feeding birds during our frigid winters and got mostly sparrows. Now I offer something more appealing – and get more kinds of birds.

New from Thomas Gunning at 30-Second Read.

A Quirky Obsession? One man collected shoehorns – nearly 1,600 of them. My collection is much smaller but growing.

A QUIRKY OBSESSION? I wrote two months ago about shoehorns. Now I'm back with another shoehorn tale. Send help if you think you must. At 30-Second Read.

Lowercase Sentinel I strolled with passport, whistle and camera phone, trying to do what I could to watch for unwelcome visitors.

ICE PATROL: I strolled with passport, whistle and camera phone, trying to do what I could to watch for unwelcome visitors. New at 30-SECOND READ, by Thomas Gunning. 30secondread.com/watching-for...

In the Quiet, I Heal Sadness is natural. It’s part of being human. The real challenge is when we suppress it.

IN THE QUIET, I HEAL: Sadness is natural. It’s part of being human. The real challenge is when we suppress it. A new essay by Nahar Trina at 30-Second Read.

I See You I see you, understanding that I can’t know all of you, can’t inhabit your experiences, can’t comprehend all your mysteries.

I SEE YOU: I see you, understanding that I can’t know all of you, can’t inhabit your experiences, can’t comprehend all your mysteries. | My latest at 30-Second Read. 30secondread.com/i-see-you/

Count Me in for Caring Living in community is hard because some among us abuse its benefits. It's worth the effort anyway.

Count Me in for Caring 30secondread.com/living-in-co...

American Glory 30-Second Read has reached a milestone to rival those of Babe Ruth, Tom Brady and Wayne Gretzky. Or so says the author.

A minor milestone marked with satire, by Thomas Gunning.

Winter Winds A survivor of many harsh winters on why Midwesterners are better off than Southerners when winter delivers its worst.

An essay by Thomas Gunning.

Comply or Die Freedom-loving Americans who lawfully oppose this totalitarianism must either accept conquest or face death like Renee Good did.

A new mini essay by Thomas Gunning.

Our Five Big Tiny Words "All men are created equal." Five words that have inspired us – and shamed us by exposing our many hypocrisies.

OUR FIVE BIG TINY WORDS: "All men are created equal." Five words that have inspired us – and shamed us by exposing our many hypocrisies. For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, from 30–Second Read.

The Luckiest People The song moved me when I first heard it 20 years ago. It speaks to what we all need – and why we're lucky when we have it.

30-Second Read welcomes a new contributor, Sarah Hudson Pierce.

Now Comes Catastrophe My Ecco ankle boots will soon have to be discarded, after eight years guarding my feet. I'll grieve them as I look for new shoes.

A TALE ABOUT SHOES: Time comes for us all – and it's coming soon for my favorite shoes. Oh, how I will grieve for them.

In Dark Times Renee Good's killing in Minneapolis was just the latest atrocity among too many perpetrated by our own government.

"The murder last week of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, followed by baseless accusations and ridiculous claims by the Trump regime, is a blood-red stain on what we’ve become as a nation."

Bad, Mad, Cheerful We take you inside the paragraphs factory today, and it isn't pretty. The topic is anger: mad, bad and cheerful.

I'd been thinking about unhelpful anger and couldn’t get my thoughts to gel.

Here’s the problem. Some anger is good.

Silent I'm a writer, and so I ache to translate my anguish about events in Bangladesh into words.

Writer Nahar Trina offers a moving and anguished essay about events in Bangladesh, her homeland.

Cheeseburger Rebellion Even with all else that ails us, we need to have a serious talk. About a most important topic. The cheeseburger.

New from 30-Second Read. By Thomas Gunning.

The Year That Broke America Perhaps there was problem when a New Year's essay casts its lens back, to the year just ended, rather than looking ahead. Then again.

I write today with nothing except a wish to craft a New Year’s essay. I fear where it will go.

Holidays at Home For many, the holidays mean time spent alone, perhaps with beloved pets – and certainly with much to think about.

A new essay by Thomas Gunning, at 30-Second Read.

The Promises That Shape You You live your values, whatever they are. They're your bedrock for a meaningful life.

"Values are more than ideals. They are silent promises we make to ourselves and others. They guide our choices, shape our character and define how we navigate the world." A new essay by Nahar Trina at 30-Second Read.

A Nutty, Twiggy Christmas A gift needn't be expensive or wild to be meaningful. For proof, just look to a dad's gift from a daughter.

A true tale for Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Signs of Decay My behavior has changed with age and perhaps not for the better. How do I know? Check my socks, spatulas and flatware.

New from Thomas Gunning at 30SecondRead.com.

The Police States of America First they came for those I didn't know or didn't care about. Now, I fear, they're coming for me or those I love.

My latest at 30SecondRead.com.

But If You Don’t Leave A trip to places named Limerick, Tipperary and Killarney was also a multigenerational journey into the past.

A new mini essay by Liz Gauger at 30SecondRead.com.