Terry Oxley

Terry is a former utility executive, retired military officer and community service volunteer residing in Tumwater, WA. He has served as Board Director for the United Services Organization (USO), Washington Business Week Foundation, Washington Youth Academy and the Bellevue Schools Foundation. Terry has also served as a contributing writer for The Olympian, a newspaper headquartered in Olympia, WA.

Most Recent Articles by Terry Oxley:

That Ugly Old Tree

From out of the ether it came to mind, a phrase of sorts I surmise. It demands attention to four short words, “that ugly old tree.” These jousts with meaning always begin as foggy notions resisting all efforts to ignore them – at least until respected with fingers on the keyboard.

What is the meaning of “that ugly old tree?” These annoying words and phrases always turn out to be metaphorical which eliminates that weather-damaged juniper tree in my back yard. So, what has been weighing on my mind lately?

- Tuesday, May 30, 2023

The Value of Discomforting Thoughts

Bias is a bit like an autopilot that once programmed guides us along the most agreeable route to our predetermined opinions. It navigates away from the contrary and stops along the way only for those bits of information that confirm our prejudices.

In social science, this tendency is called “confirmation bias.” Awareness of confirmation bias, sometimes called wishful thinking, delivers truckloads of insight about how notoriously flimsy notions persist. It follows then that Individuals/groups lacking objectivity as a core value are absent from any list of the “most trusted” and unsurprisingly a recent Gallop Poll pegs congress members as next to last on the trust scale just above telemarketers.

- Friday, May 12, 2023

Beware the Narrative

Every now and then I must contend with a word or phrase that comes to mind and just will not go away – at least until acknowledged in writing. The phrase currently pestering my consciousness is: Beware the Narrative.

Webster’s defines “narrative” succinctly as “a spoken or written account of events, a story.” The verb “beware” simply means to be alert to the dangers of something or someone. So, what is up with this free-floating admonition to be alert to the dangers of a story? I have some clues.

- Monday, April 24, 2023

The National Divide – Something Old or Something New

I penned this piece to bring order to my thoughts – worrisome thoughts. Progressives seem confident that resistance to radical social change can be dismissed as simple anchor dragging by reactionaries meaning those on the political Right. A serious charge but is it true?

There is a predictable stress point between impulses to conserve the traditional and familiar and to change the status quo. Both are survival instincts, failure to embrace change stifles creativity and adaptability. Conversely, jettisoning what is foundational for the theoretical can be destabilizing and destructive. Balancing the virtues of both would seem the logical path, however, contemporary events show our cherished republic is at an impasse and foundational liberties are under siege.

- Sunday, April 16, 2023