Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
I was raised on Queen Anne Hill, a quiet community atop of one of Seattle’s seven hills. My family were members of St. Anne’s Church and for 18 years my life revolved around the Catholic Church and parish activities. My faith back then was based on centuries-old, immutable truths, enumerated in the Baltimore Catechism. All that was required of me to achieve security in this … Continue reading A Visit from the Grand Inquisitor
Dreams are the most curious asides and soliloquies of the soul. When [we recollect our dreams], it is like meeting the ghost of [ourselves]. Dreams often surprise us into the strangest self-knowledge…Dreaming is the truest confessional, and often the sharpest penance. ~ Alexander Smith Do you “get” your dreams? Are your dreams “soliloquies of your soul?” Do you dream in technicolor? Are they filled with … Continue reading Sweet Dreams
There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” ~ Isaac Asimov Ring true? Ignorance is dangerous, and can be, as history suggests … Continue reading Choosing Wisdom Over Ignorance
“Happiness is not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.” ― Walt Whitman It seems I can be stunningly distracted at moments when I need to be fully and completely present. I find myself easily preoccupied with anywhere but here. I’ve been slowly learning — you can’t board your next train when you haven’t gotten off your last. When my … Continue reading Stop, Look and Listen
Friend Paul Schrijnen sent me an extraordinary poem written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer while he was in Flossenburg Prison. Bonhoeffer wrote the poem shortly after he was sentenced to be hanged for his role in the conspiracy to assassinate Adolph Hitler. The poem is entitled Who Am I? Who am I? They often tell meI stepped from my cell’s confinementCalmly, cheerfully, firmly,Like a Squire from his … Continue reading At The End, Who Are We?