Breathe, and Don’t Be Afraid to Care
Written November 9th, 2017 “Walking in the Pastures of Wonder” That is the title of a new book that just arrived today by the Irish poet/philosopher John O’Donohue, who has been a wonderful discovery for me recently. The book, along with his general outlook is closely aligned with the...
The Privilege of a Lifetime
Written February 21st, 2019 I will make this brief, even though this photo inspires so much thought and wonder that I’m left speechless at the sight. The photo (click it to expand) was taken from an app that I have on my Droid tablet, which gives me a live...
A Return to the Dark Ages?
Written May 11th, 2015 During a 1961 lecture entitled “The Impact of Science on Myth”, Joseph Campbell relayed a puzzling, yet all too common conversation he overheard years earlier regarding faith and science. While sitting in his favorite diner in New York City having lunch, a mother entered with...
Defiance
Written February 5th, 2011 de·fi·ance – a daring or bold resistance to authority or to any opposing force. I am including this definition because the word has become something of a guiding principle for me over the past year or two; the flag of my disposition you might say....
Dylan’s Wail
My hope is that some time will be set aside to read this note in its entirety. It is long, covering over 5000 words when including the lyrics, but this tour deforce from Dylan represents something of a lifelong passion of mine. It’s enough to say that there are...
Are Wolf Spiders Practicing Buddhists?
Written November 21st, 2019 Did I lose you there? Of course, I realize suggesting that a mere spider may be a Buddhist could easily get lost in the translation, so please know upfront that I will not be making that case here. I’m merely using the suggestion as a...
Shinny Eyes
Written January 14th, 2017 Quite randomly today, while searching YouTube for some interesting content to investigate, I stumbled across a surprisingly engaging TED Talk video titled “The Transformative Power of Classical Music”, given by Benjamin Zander, a Classical conductor and music teacher and I admit to being quite blown...
The Madhouse and the Choice
Written April 4th, 2010 “We are living in a difficult time, and whatever defends us from the madhouse can be applauded as good enough – for those without nerve.” That line was taken from Joseph Campbell’s “Myth’s to Live By”, a book I read in my early twenties, which...
Priorities
Written November 6th, 2016 I knew the odds were in my favor. After several years of watching for the signs, I’ve developed a keen eye for the way the sky settles down for the evening. I was simply working in the yard and noticed the clouds forming nicely and...
The Seamstress
Written September 20th, 2019 Once again Maria Popova has ‘strung a knot in my mind’, to quote a favorite line from Bob Dylan’s “Restless Farewell.” Her website, brainpickings.org is a treasure-trove of articles on many of my favorite subjects and heroes, with each article being a written exposition on...