michael

Mark Twain 1835-1910, a great favorite of my father, once said, “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” And in the words of a great favorite of my own, Carl Jung 1875-1961, “Wholeness is not achieved by cutting off a portion of one’s being. but by an integration of […]

I’ll tell a client “This doesn’t mean your heritage or destiny is determined by your family of origin – but, if/when the ‘demons start dancing’, at least I know who they are and what are their names[1] It’s been 40 years or so I’ve been drawing out genograms or ‘family trees’ on some clients. Initially

The other day, I pulled from my living room bookshelf a small volume I’d long forgotten – a small paperback with a blue cover by the American poet, William Stafford, with the title “You Must Revise Your Life.”[1] I don’t remember when or why I purchased it, perhaps Robert Bly had mentioned it. And strange

Let’s imagine we’re in a classroom somewhere, perhaps in an institution of “higher learning” – and a teacher (say, a professor) was lecturing on a particular topic. Then, at one point, he or she would pause, then say to the class “Now let’s suppose I’m wrong. Please respond to me. Let’s talk.”[1] If this hadn’t

The Sunday Comics It’s Sunday morning, February 26, 2023. Like clockwork, I feed my cat, make coffee – then next I’ll retrieve the Sunday Flint Journal from my front porch. I remove it from its plastic wrapper (protecting it from Michigan weather), and disengage the Comics section. Then I’ll sit down to read my three

It was my first visit in many years to a podiatrist. My PCP (Primary Care Physician) had informed me that Medicare would cover toenail trimming, so I availed myself of that benefit. I’d reached the age when bending down to trim my own nails wasn’t as easy for this non-limber body. And pedicures were somewhat

“There’s a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen “Anthem”[1] This year, this new year 2023, is not going to be an easy one either. We can tell already.Maybe there will never be an easy year in the rest of our lifetime.[2]Though maybe for our children… Many years ago,

Times and Seasons Many years ago I came upon this brief bit of Irish wisdom from an anonymous source. Five things a wise person should know: the day of the solar month, the age of the moon, the tides of the sea, the day of the week, the calendar of holy days. This sacred and

Part One – a Moment of Private Fear Just a couple days ago, perusing news and opinion on my cellphone news channels, I first allowed myself that gut-level realization we really could at any moment experience a nuclear attack and potential annihilation by one evil man named Putin. For some time now I’d been reading

Last Spring, Michael Meade, an acquaintance and favorite podcast writer, wrote a podcast entitled “Wise and Crosswise” which I revisit from time to time, and now share with you.[1] In my own imagination, (and actually some specific memory), I find myself on a path through a thick forest, my walking stick sometimes held in front