michael

The beginning of this has been a long fascination with the various and totally diverse meanings of the word Mean. 1) It can be a descriptive adjective: ‘That dog looks really ‘mean’, denoting a characteristic of cruelty, or cruel behavior. A deeper meaning could be that one should keep a distance from that dog, for […]

I remember concluding my previous Newsletter with an open question about the meaning of those previous weeks’ Florida vacation/hospitalization and heart emergency. (It’s perhaps a therapist thing to inquire about the particular meaning of things.) And I recall leaving the question open for the time – not being in any hurry to rush into such

Part A – Planning my Florida Vacation For some years (before Covid) I’d plan a Winter vacation itinerary that would include a number of visits to an established collection of Florida friends, most with available guest rooms, etc. The highlight of each visit was our usual brand of quality conversation. Now with Covid somewhat tamed

For me, fortunately, it was almost too easy. For those many months…I could hide in my house, and also in my office just a half mile away.Nobody close to me died of “the Covid.”I got vaccinated four and five months ago without any problems.My particular clientele were not the ones who suffered the most (at

Andrew Stimson, 1941 – 2021 He was my best college roommate for those first two years of college dorm life at Iowa State Teachers College (“ISTC” – now the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls). That was before I transferred to the University of Iowa, and basically lost touch with him. Before that we

I don’t know where I found this little saying. It was some years ago. I printed it out using my little Brother label-maker, and stuck it just below my bathroom mirror. It’s been there ever since – reminding me to keep open to those unforeseen moments that can insert themselves into my everyday life. I

It’s not uncommon, when spouses or domestic partners may be contending with each other over some matter, the phone will ring.  Let’s say the man will answer it, to discover it’s a client, friend, business associate, neighbor, or somebody for whom a courteous and friendly tone is appropriate. Needless to mention, it’s quite a different

I heard a ‘yes’ from somewhere – I don’t know where it came from or what it means. What do I do now? I’m not used to hearing voices from out of nowhere – except once in awhile out of nowhere I’ll hear my name being called. I probably should respond by saying “thank you”,

Remember that song from Rogers & Hammerstein’s “Carousel” – back in the 1950’s?  “When you Walk Through a Storm”. [1] (Lyrics below in Footnotes) Parallels What were you and I doing and thinking this past Christmas? Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris had been (duly and/or apparently) elected President and Vice President of the United States.

Among the Native Americans with whom I’ve rubbed shoulders in this my latest quarter century, there are ritual words, akin to our “Good Bye” (God be with you), Blessings and Balance, Balance and Blessing,For from Balance comes all Blessings Sometimes this is foreshortened to the first three words, or to “B&B” – as at the