By David Himmel

• Peace with small kids is as likely as peace in Israel. It’s a cute sentiment but an impossible outcome.

• There is no difference between humping and suffering through the creative process for your own art and your corporate gig. Creativity is creativity and being good at it is tough. The same vices, fears, breakthroughs, and grooves all apply no matter the audience. A book critic is just as wretched or wonderful as a corporate client. So, lean in, do the things, put in the work, keep your head above the shitline and turn out the good stuff the only and best way you know how. A paycheck is a paycheck and a happy audience is just that.

• Nothing ages you quite like your kid’s birthday.

• If you don’t want social programs giving “handouts,” help create a society where these programs aren’t needed.

• Humanity will always be in a state of war of Good vs Evil. But not like you think. It’s not one beating out the other. It’s about which is which. Who is Good and what we should be fighting for. The problem is, there is no absolute answer. We all think we’re good guys. Even the worst of us.

• It’s a terrible feeling knowing you cannot trust the person or people whose #1 job is to have your back. It’s an even worse feeling knowing you’d have theirs no matter what.