Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
Today I found a poem by Theodore Roethke sitting in my inbox. My good friend Neil Vance sent it without a message. It hardly needed one. The poem is entitled “Infirmity.” I read it and my soul was enlarged a thousand times. Theodore Roethke passed away in 1963. At the time he was living on Bainbridge Island near Seattle and teaching at the University of … Continue reading Infirmity
I recently met a long-time buddy for a belated birthday chat. We go way back, to my drinking days, when the nights were long and the days were blurry. We both have been sober a good while, so we can now share a good laugh at the bad old days and just be thankful we made it through alive. As we were readying to leave, … Continue reading Learning to Listen
Marsha and I live near a bluff overlooking the Everett Naval Station. Each morning we are faithfully reminded the Navy is our neighbor when we hear the playing of the national anthem, and then again each evening at nine p.m. when taps is played. These are our daily cues that we as Americans share the same flag and some set of common values with the … Continue reading Semper Fidelis
[Originally published June 10, 2017] Some time ago Marsha and I watched Henry Fonda in the movie Young Mr. Lincoln. Afterward, I wondered whether we would ever again see anyone with the character of Old Abe. Then I wondered, would I even recognize such a person if he or she crossed my path? What struck me about Lincoln’s story was how little of his background … Continue reading Seeing Humanity in the Strangers Among Us
Albert Schweitzer said, “There are two means of refuge from the misery of life — music and cats.” I walked out my front door the other day and a black cat crossed my path. Not being superstitious I thought nothing of it, and yet I was a little mesmerized by the silky, stealthy beauty of this marvelous creature. Say what you will about cats, they … Continue reading Cats: A Refuge from Misery