Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
What do you do when your life’s been turned upside down? Hard question! Such was the case for me when Marsha and I left Chicago to resettle in the Pacific Northwest. I thought moving back would be cakewalk — wasn’t I just coming home? Apparently not. The years I lived in Chicago had changed me. I first came to Chicago as a 21-year-old scrub-faced kid … Continue reading Turning Right Side Up
“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you.” ~ A. A. Milne, (Spoken by Winnie the Pooh). As I was getting my grandson Sam ready for bed … Continue reading Loving What’s Mortal
”Excuse this letter’s being like a hotch-potch. It’s incoherent, but I can’t help it. Sitting in an hotel room one can’t write better. Excuse its being long. It’s not my fault. My pen ran away with me—besides, I wanted to go on talking to you. It’s three o’clock in the night. My hand is tired. The wick of the candle wants snuffing, I can hardly … Continue reading When We Write Words to Another
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” ― William Faulkner I remember a time when the embers of resentment still burned from battles fought in the Second World War. When I was a kid most of the dads on my block had fought in World War II and feelings about the war still ran high. Indeed, many of the men were scarred by … Continue reading Transforming Our Enemies
Once reality gets degraded, it’s really hard to get it back.” ~ Keith Darden Bamboozles are the ways we get comfortable with lies. They comfort us, conform to our prejudices and allow us to pretend we’re bigger, better, and prettier than we are. The writer Upton Sinclair described how some get bamboozled: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends … Continue reading The Great Bamboozle