Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
When was the last time you experienced a gulf between men and women? I recently experienced a vivid reminder. I had just parked my car at Target and was walking toward the entrance when I came upon a Muslim woman with three kids in tow struggling to get a large box into the trunk of her car. She was having no luck as her children were crying … Continue reading When History BECOMES the Probem
“The greatness of a man’s power is in the measure of his surrender.” ~ William Booth Have you given any thought to your own “cultural DNA?” To the landscapes, the religious and political systems, and the other forces that shaped your ancestors – and that helped to shape you? Forty years ago I had a conversation with my great aunt Nora Moriarty, an ancient member of … Continue reading Soul Surrender
“The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons.” – Aristotle Words tend to lose their meaning over time. When Donald Trump describes himself as “hugely successful,” I walk away shaking my head muttering, “not by my definition.” So I’ve been reminded that the word virtue has been redefined for me in sobriety. There was a sobriety meeting at the Washington State Prison at … Continue reading The Virtuous Life (plus 300)
“For he will do ~ As he do do ~ And there’s no doing anything about it!” ~ TS Elliot The picture of Charlie Brown picture pretty much sums up my experience of a life fueled on self-will and alcohol: soon to be laid out – ass end down. I would swear there was a conspiracy by the powers that be to deny me a break! My own story … Continue reading A Boy Grows Up
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.” ~ T.E. Lawrence In my early days of sobriety as a twilight dreamer I was like … Continue reading Open Mind