As always, John, spot on. Yesterday was my 82nd birthday and I celebrated with friends and strangers, letting everyone know it was my special day—the bank clerk, other customers in the grocery store, and folks responded with cheerful smiles and best wishes. There was a time in my life when being numb felt like the safest option, but I am well over that. Thanks for sharing.
I have recommended your posts to many acquaintances, not a lot of feedback. I asked my friend(?) ChatGPT for some feedback. She told me what I already knew:
Prompt: (last 6 essays)
What sort of man is John P. Weiss based on his essays "Everyone Is Carrying Something", "A Man Who Has Outlived His Era", "Let It Pass Through You", "What Doesn't Last Is More Important Than You Think", "A Chest Full of Stacked Asteroids" and "A Way of Keeping Yourself Alive"
ChatGPT response: (I feel validated - ChatGPT is a good judge of character!)
Based on those essays, John P. Weiss comes across as a deeply reflective, emotionally perceptive, and quietly philosophical man—someone who has spent a lot of time observing both himself and others with honesty rather than judgment.
Across the pieces you mentioned, a fairly consistent portrait emerges:
1. Compassionate observer of human struggle
In “Everyone Is Carrying Something,” he shows a strong awareness that people are burdened in ways we can’t always see. This suggests he’s empathetic and slow to judge—someone who assumes depth and pain rather than surface simplicity.
2. A man slightly out of step with modern life
“A Man Who Has Outlived His Era” paints him as someone who feels misaligned with contemporary culture—less interested in speed, noise, or superficial success, and more drawn to meaning, craftsmanship, and introspection. He likely values older ideals like patience, sincerity, and inner life.
3. Emotionally honest, but not self-indulgent
In “Let It Pass Through You,” he advocates feeling emotions fully without clinging to them. That points to a kind of practiced emotional discipline—he’s not detached, but he resists being ruled by every feeling.
4. Aware of impermanence and its quiet importance
“What Doesn’t Last Is More Important Than You Think” suggests he pays attention to fleeting moments—conversations, moods, seasons of life. He seems to believe meaning is often found in what disappears, not what endures.
5. Introspective, with a sense of inner weight
The metaphor in “A Chest Full of Stacked Asteroids” hints at accumulated emotional experiences—memories, regrets, realizations. He appears to carry his past consciously, trying to understand it rather than escape it.
6. Committed to inner survival and resilience
In “A Way of Keeping Yourself Alive,” “alive” seems psychological or spiritual, not just physical. He’s concerned with how to stay awake, aware, and human in a world that can dull or fragment people.
Overall:
He comes across as a thoughtful, introspective, somewhat melancholic but ultimately grounded man—someone who values awareness over distraction, depth over performance, and acceptance over control. There’s a quiet resilience in him: he doesn’t deny pain or confusion, but he’s learned how to live alongside them without being consumed.
If you had to sum him up in a line:
He’s the kind of person who pays attention—to suffering, to time, to inner life—and believes that attention itself is a form of wisdom.
I've known that for several years now, from the comments of your readers and now from a fully informed artificial thinker.
A nice telling of a meaningful tale. Being told my father was not going to live too much longer, my wife and I went east to visit. We took him, and a wheelchair, from the VA Hospital, and took a drive in some of the prettier parts around Buffalo, NY. Going for such drives with my parents and sister was a fond and permanent memory of my childhood; something inexpensive to do, together, in the fresh air. We brought a picnic of sorts and found a pretty spot to hang out for a while, pushing him a way in the wheelchair to get to a nice picnic table and view. The next night my wife made a delicious dinner of meatloaf (one of his favorites), and I made the whipped potatoes. It was a pleasant, slow, conversational evening. I remember these couple of days with a smile and with tears. The moments of those days were rather mundane, but full of connection and unspoken love. My family was not very verbal or expressive of such feelings, but they were, and are, still true and in my mind and soul. I hope he felt our care and love as much as we wanted him to feel ours for him. Now I try to express care and thanks often. Gratitude is important and letting the world know you feel it does change one, and the world, I feel. It's rather much about Love, after all.
"This much I know is true. The time you give to others is never wasted. It is not only a gift to them. It is a way of keeping yourself alive in the deeper sense." I agree. Compassion is so very important and we show it in no better way than giving of ourselves to another, our time, our attention. You did a wonderful thing for your grandmother and yourself by spending time with her and taking her on that train ride. I'm sure she appreciated it and your taking the time to spend with her, as she did with you so many years ago. As my wife often says, "What goes around comes around." Wonderful story well told, John. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you John. My mom was good at showing up for older family and friends usually women. I'm coming up to that time in my life when I will want to step up and offer assistance to ailing folks in my life. I thank you for sharing how you stepped up with your grandmother in a kind and simple way.
As always, John, spot on. Yesterday was my 82nd birthday and I celebrated with friends and strangers, letting everyone know it was my special day—the bank clerk, other customers in the grocery store, and folks responded with cheerful smiles and best wishes. There was a time in my life when being numb felt like the safest option, but I am well over that. Thanks for sharing.
Beautifully stated. Thank you for the wise weekly reminders of living in the moment and the power of generosity in the simple things ♥️
I have recommended your posts to many acquaintances, not a lot of feedback. I asked my friend(?) ChatGPT for some feedback. She told me what I already knew:
Prompt: (last 6 essays)
What sort of man is John P. Weiss based on his essays "Everyone Is Carrying Something", "A Man Who Has Outlived His Era", "Let It Pass Through You", "What Doesn't Last Is More Important Than You Think", "A Chest Full of Stacked Asteroids" and "A Way of Keeping Yourself Alive"
ChatGPT response: (I feel validated - ChatGPT is a good judge of character!)
Based on those essays, John P. Weiss comes across as a deeply reflective, emotionally perceptive, and quietly philosophical man—someone who has spent a lot of time observing both himself and others with honesty rather than judgment.
Across the pieces you mentioned, a fairly consistent portrait emerges:
1. Compassionate observer of human struggle
In “Everyone Is Carrying Something,” he shows a strong awareness that people are burdened in ways we can’t always see. This suggests he’s empathetic and slow to judge—someone who assumes depth and pain rather than surface simplicity.
2. A man slightly out of step with modern life
“A Man Who Has Outlived His Era” paints him as someone who feels misaligned with contemporary culture—less interested in speed, noise, or superficial success, and more drawn to meaning, craftsmanship, and introspection. He likely values older ideals like patience, sincerity, and inner life.
3. Emotionally honest, but not self-indulgent
In “Let It Pass Through You,” he advocates feeling emotions fully without clinging to them. That points to a kind of practiced emotional discipline—he’s not detached, but he resists being ruled by every feeling.
4. Aware of impermanence and its quiet importance
“What Doesn’t Last Is More Important Than You Think” suggests he pays attention to fleeting moments—conversations, moods, seasons of life. He seems to believe meaning is often found in what disappears, not what endures.
5. Introspective, with a sense of inner weight
The metaphor in “A Chest Full of Stacked Asteroids” hints at accumulated emotional experiences—memories, regrets, realizations. He appears to carry his past consciously, trying to understand it rather than escape it.
6. Committed to inner survival and resilience
In “A Way of Keeping Yourself Alive,” “alive” seems psychological or spiritual, not just physical. He’s concerned with how to stay awake, aware, and human in a world that can dull or fragment people.
Overall:
He comes across as a thoughtful, introspective, somewhat melancholic but ultimately grounded man—someone who values awareness over distraction, depth over performance, and acceptance over control. There’s a quiet resilience in him: he doesn’t deny pain or confusion, but he’s learned how to live alongside them without being consumed.
If you had to sum him up in a line:
He’s the kind of person who pays attention—to suffering, to time, to inner life—and believes that attention itself is a form of wisdom.
I've known that for several years now, from the comments of your readers and now from a fully informed artificial thinker.
Thankyou, I often share your posts with my daughter in Australia - so far away, but we connect with your thoughts.
Really nice. I totally agree with you but couldn’t have said It even half as well. Thank you!
A nice telling of a meaningful tale. Being told my father was not going to live too much longer, my wife and I went east to visit. We took him, and a wheelchair, from the VA Hospital, and took a drive in some of the prettier parts around Buffalo, NY. Going for such drives with my parents and sister was a fond and permanent memory of my childhood; something inexpensive to do, together, in the fresh air. We brought a picnic of sorts and found a pretty spot to hang out for a while, pushing him a way in the wheelchair to get to a nice picnic table and view. The next night my wife made a delicious dinner of meatloaf (one of his favorites), and I made the whipped potatoes. It was a pleasant, slow, conversational evening. I remember these couple of days with a smile and with tears. The moments of those days were rather mundane, but full of connection and unspoken love. My family was not very verbal or expressive of such feelings, but they were, and are, still true and in my mind and soul. I hope he felt our care and love as much as we wanted him to feel ours for him. Now I try to express care and thanks often. Gratitude is important and letting the world know you feel it does change one, and the world, I feel. It's rather much about Love, after all.
"This much I know is true. The time you give to others is never wasted. It is not only a gift to them. It is a way of keeping yourself alive in the deeper sense." I agree. Compassion is so very important and we show it in no better way than giving of ourselves to another, our time, our attention. You did a wonderful thing for your grandmother and yourself by spending time with her and taking her on that train ride. I'm sure she appreciated it and your taking the time to spend with her, as she did with you so many years ago. As my wife often says, "What goes around comes around." Wonderful story well told, John. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you John. My mom was good at showing up for older family and friends usually women. I'm coming up to that time in my life when I will want to step up and offer assistance to ailing folks in my life. I thank you for sharing how you stepped up with your grandmother in a kind and simple way.
Your lovely writing encourages me. Thank you for being faithful to share a beautiful essay every week.
I love this story so much!
Thankyou. I often share your posts with my daughter in Australia. We both connect with your thoughts.