The flood was several weeks ago, and I stopped by to see how things were going and went into Sykes' grocery store (Ellen Gilchrist tells her story, just after Katrina). The proprietor told me about filling the sandbags, who all was…
My friend Tim Hansel wrote a book on parenting. He asked his young sons, "Boys, how do you know Dad loves you?"He figured that they would say, "Daaaad, remember when you took us to Disney world, like for 10 days!" They didn't say that, so he knew he…
Loving costs a lot, but not loving always costs more. "Does it hurt?" the Rabbit asked the Skin Horse (about "becoming real"). "Oh yes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "Sometimes it hurts a lot. But when you are…
A businessman walks the airport concourse, on his way to baggage claim. His flight is late in arriving, and his mood is melancholy. This is the end of a long business trip; his energy spent and his emotions raw. If…
“I have never been lost,” Daniel Boone once said about exploring remote areas. “But I will admit to being confused for several weeks.” That’ll preach. And I will admit to the same. My confusion was exaggerated this past week (during our serious heat…
Last week I danced with Manatees. Lord have mercy, it was good. I was in Manasota Key, Florida, my annual gathering with my friends of 35 years. Manatees are unafraid of humans and are curious. They are gentle, docile and…
Early this morning I drove from Gardnerville, NV through the Carson Valley to the Reno Airport. The drive framed by the Sierra Nevada Mountains, including the snow laden peaks that cradle Lake Tahoe. There is no urgency and it is…
GK Chesterton tells the story of a teenage boy granted one wish by a genie. “Do you wish to be huge or tiny?” We are all swayed by the appeal of being big, strong and powerful. So, the boy chose…
During a noon-hour rush on a steamy July day, two men were jockeying their way through the crowd on a New York City avenue. They practically shouted as they tried to hear one other above the din. One man, a native New…
I love the uplifting story Sue Monk Kidd tells about her grandfather. My grandfather was a lawyer, a judge, and a farmer. He was frequently busy and conquesting, but I remember also that he sometimes entered the golden moments of wu wei. He and I…
