Taking an extended vacation from weekly posts provided a welcome break. Recharged with a list of new ideas, and a draft outline for my next book, I’m ready to resume writing. I hope you enjoy the new stuff! —————————————————— Taped To A Mirror I started my first big-boy job in July, forty-five years ago. I …
Freedom
It was another busy week as we get the cabin ready for summer guests. The longer days invite outdoor activities, leaving little time for reflection and writing. I’m pretty sure July 4th comes sooner every year, especially Up-North, where two months ago, the lake was still frozen. As we approach our country’s celebration of freedom, …
Dad
Dad and me, 1955 Today we honor fathers' contributions to our lives. My Dad has been gone for twelve years. He had an outsized impact on my life. I always had the greatest respect for Dad. When I was a youngster, I thought he should be President of the United States. Recently I came …
Beautiful Dawn
It’s been a crazy busy week, so I thought I would simply offer a poem. I wrote Beautiful Dawn sometime during the mid-twenty aughts, about the time I began mindfulness practice. Beautiful Dawn I open my eyes to the morning smiling in my hand. Satisfied with the mystery of awareness and eternity. Why name what …
Life Defining Circumstances
Before diving into this week’s post, I’d like to ask a favor. Would you consider helping me promote the blog by sending this post (or another favorite) along with a recommendation to a couple friends? If they like it, they can sign up to receive new posts by email at the bottom of this page. …
Negative Waves
It’s popular today to assume we’re swirling the drain. Climate change, mass extinctions, political divisiveness, inequality, debt, and mass shootings support that assumption. Todays’s news feeds remind me of Pvt. Moriarty in the 1970 WW2 comedy film Kelly’s Heroes. Donald Sutherland played a long-haired Zen-minded Sgt. Oddball. Pvt. Moriarty is “Debbie Downer,” always pointing …
The Perils of Public Education
Over the past few months, one could hardly miss the hoopla generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT4. Developers claim the technology will have an impact similar to the discovery of fire. Others claim it could destroy the human species. Those are pretty strong shouts! You probably read that over a thousand industry experts recently signed an open …
Mom
Special note: Happy Mother’s Day, and thanks to everyone who purchased a copy of my book. Sales have exceeded expectations! If you’ve read it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. You can do that from your Amazon order history page. If you haven’t bought a copy yet, you really should! It makes a great …
The Voice
Recently, I decided to renew my mindfulness practice. Along with physical exercise it’s the best way I’ve found to restore personal balance. I first began mindfulness practice about twenty years ago. I’ve never adhered to a rigid schedule, instead prefering to practice in stretches with intermissions. Strangely, an inner voice always tells me when to …
“Put the Lime In the Coconut”
The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible… -Bertrand Russell Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher and mathematician. Most of the things he’s famous for are over my head. However, I like the above quote. It pairs nicely with one from French writer and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, “In …
Towards A Life Well-Lived 