Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
According to legend the Times of London in 1905 sent an inquiry to a number of writers asking the question, “What’s wrong with the world today?” The Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton responded succinctly and profoundly: “Dear Sirs, I am.” If that same question were asked today a large segment would respond,”You are.” Why? Because many are overly concerned with managing the speck in their neighbor’s … Continue reading What’s Wrong with the World Today?
I’ve been feeling a little on the edge these days — like I kinda need help crawling back. Do you ever get this way? When I find myself living on life’s razor’s edge, I remember a story of the wise fisherman. An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the … Continue reading Laughing on the Edge
Forty-five years ago I met Pete, the old gentleman who ran the shoeshine stand in the Eastern Airlines Shuttle Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, a stand he’d manned since the late 1940’s. It’s there I learned the true value of a good shoeshine. Back then, in olden times, people wore shoes that needed shoe polish, so having a good shine was a grooming ritual for many … Continue reading The True Value of a Shoeshine
There are times when getting from here to there is no easy matter; when the route is unclear and obstacles seem insurmountable. There’s an old saying: “The only difference between a stepping stone and a stumbling block is how we use them.” Will you walk in between the stones with a mind to missing them, or walk on top of the stones with a … Continue reading Stepping Stones or Stumbling Blocks?
I once thought wisdom was the exclusive domain of old folks but I’ve discovered some of my most important lessons have been taught by the very young. One such lesson came from my nephew Jack when he was all of six years old. I was newly sober and still stinging from a number of painful losses. At the time I kept pretty much to myself as I felt … Continue reading The Practice of Listening