That was better than religion… How satisfying it was to hear that feedback after one of my recent poetry-based presentations. And when I heard it a second and third time I was even more pleased. Now let me be clear, I take little credit for these comments, however I do believe in the power of…
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One of the saddest things you’ll ever see are hundreds of people on a beautiful beach in Hawaii trying to be happy. Truth is, we can’t try, demand or force ourselves to be happy. And we certainly can’t make ourselves be inspired or in love. Truth is, we do what we do and then…
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Let me warn you this is not a typical memorial tribute, because its subject is anything but typical. You see, Helen Burgio was a force of nature in so many ways. I particularly loved her sense of humor, though a few times when I teased her too hard or about the wrong things she…
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In conversation with a close friend recently, we ranged into a territory that felt important, maybe even profound for us both. We began to talk about that edge where the urge to help takes on a somewhat driven quality. It is that place where a good instinct to help, can morph into something not so…
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Listen to me… You’re no artist! Ever heard that little inner voice in your head say such a thing? Have you ever talked back to that voice? After all, what is art, if not our own simple, honest and immediate response to life. It took me years of writing to begrudgingly call myself a writer and a…
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It all shows up together… The shock, the grief and the unbearable pain, right along side the amazing courage, compassion and strength to keep moving forward. Who could blame anyone for reacting in fear after this latest terrorist attack in Paris? Of course this would also be a time where hastily made comments may not be as…
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They called him Rat Little. This kid was the poster child for mean + bully. I remember one Friday night at Shoneys Restaurant seeing him use the cast on his broken right arm to wail unmercifully on another kid. And the cast? Yes of course, the result of a previous fight. Rat Little was 16 and…
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I recently had dinner with a good friend. At one point the subject of psychotherapy came up. We both agreed that we were glad we had done some therapy along the way. I said my wife had once stated flatly that she would not have married me if I had not done therapy. I still love that she…
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