Personal Growth
-
Uncluttering
Amidst one’s daily clutter, one doesn’t usually reflect on the splendor of being free because – naturally – one has to get on with the business of living. Upamanyu Chatterjee Linda and I moved into our three story Victorian house (or barn as I often call it) in the winter of 1998. I remember it… Continue reading
-
Randomness
This wretched brain gave way, and I became a wreck at random driven, without one glimpse of reason or heaven. Thomas Moore Linda and I are up at Lake Sallie for our annual cabin opening extended weekend. This involves cleaning up mouse poop, putting patio furniture back into place, coordinating with plumbers and dock installers,… Continue reading
-
Healthy Sexuality
Sexuality is one of the ways that we become enlightened, actually, because it leads us to self-knowledge. Alice Walker Note: I tried to not use the word “sexuality” in the title of this article, but the alternates were either too clunky or sounded as if I was trying too hard to sound clever. “Life is… Continue reading
-
My Future Self
You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. Abraham Lincoln A little more than a week ago, I attended a retreat for older men. We discussed a number of topics during the course of the day, but the one that stood out the most was developing and maintaining healthy sexuality. Due to… Continue reading
-
Everything is Everything
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on. Robert Frost 40-plus years ago one of my dearest friends spent three years in prison. For the sake of his privacy, I will call him Greg. I didn’t know Greg back then and he tells me that he was not… Continue reading
-
It’s Your Story, Keep it Real
Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. John Lennon Every Wednesday at 10:00, I gather with 10 to 15 similarly aged men for conversation and fellowship. We often start our meeting with the big news of the day, but it doesn’t take much to shift into subjects more personal and relevant… Continue reading
-
If I Knew Now What I Knew Then
Cease trying to work everything out with your minds. It will get you nowhere. Live by intuition and inspiration and let your whole life be revelation. Eileen Caddy I recently found a copy of C. S. Lewis’ The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in one my neighborhood’s Little Free Libraries. It must be at… Continue reading
-
On Finding the Sacred
There are four questions of value in life, Don Octavio. What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love. Lord Byron If you have been following along with my Coming Of Age journey, you are… Continue reading
-
I Want You to Want Me
All you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. Charles M. Schultz Want (verb): To wish, crave, demand, or desire. Need (verb): To require. The way I read the newspaper hasn’t changed in a very long time. I begin with a quick glance at the front page before turning to… Continue reading
-
Rising to the Level of Love
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. Tao Tzu I recently finished reading Luis Alberto Urrea’s The House of Broken Angels. Like most books I read these days, I found it in one of the many Little Free Libraries scattered around my neighborhood. Thankfully, I live among… Continue reading
-
All I Want is the Truth
The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant. Maximilien Robespierre Last week, I found myself in the middle of an uncomfortable LinkedIn conversation after the following meme appeared on my feed. The meme was purportedly tweeted by KFC corporate about Black History Month and it’s… Continue reading
-
Amen
The Amen of nature is always a flower. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. On Saturday, January 24, I did something I haven’t done since I was a kid. As most Americans should know, that was the day that Alex Pretti was brutally beaten and murdered by ICE agents. The Twin Cities were still grieving for Renee… Continue reading
-
On Death and Loss
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross After a break for the holidays, I am back to my Coming of Age journey. So much has happened since the pause. Most importantly, ICE… Continue reading
-
A Pot of Boiling Frogs
The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living below our capacities. Benjamin E. Mays Most of us are familiar with the story of… Continue reading
-
Unraveling the Knots
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. Roger Hornsby A couple weeks ago, I wrote of learning how to ice skate after decades of unrequited love. It was a feel good story about overcoming hesitations… Continue reading
-
On Beloved Community
Love is creative and redemptive. Love builds up and unites; hate tears down and destroys. The aftermath of the ‘fight with fire’ method is bitterness and chaos, the aftermath of the love method is reconciliation and creation of the beloved community. Yes , love — which means understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill, even for one’s enemies-is… Continue reading
-
Step and Glide
It’s coming on ChristmasThey’re cutting down treesThey’re putting up reindeerAnd singing songs of joy and peaceOh, I wish I had a riverI could skate away on Joni Mitchell I grew up in the Arizona desert where seeing snow required a long car ride. I have very strong memories of driving from my home in the… Continue reading
-
Who’s on First?
History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. Karl Marx Shortly after Mom’s 90th birthday she said to me, “How did I get so old?” My answer was quick and to the point. “You didn’t die.” While I am far short of Mom’s eventual 98 years, I can’t help but ask myself the same… Continue reading
-
On the Nature of a Higher Power
There is an eternal landscape, a geography of the soul; we search for its outlines all our lives. Josephine Hart This missive is part of my Coming of Age series of articles. If you haven’t been following along and would like to know what this is all about, you can find the previous articles here:… Continue reading
-
Ten Thousand and One Reasons
When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always. Mahatma Gandhi Preamble There is no denying it. We live in difficult times.… Continue reading
Can You Hear Me Now 