michael

The other day (July 21) was Robin Williams’ birthday. He would have been already 69. Of course he died too young. And in another week or so (August 11), that would have been six years ago. His name showed up somewhere on line – along with this quote: “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle […]

Generally when I wake up, and once I’ve turned off the alarm, I’ll look to the calendar on my smartphone to see what’s already set for the day ahead. Then I’ll take a quick peek at the morning’s news, assuming that things have probably changed during the time of my sleeping. This particular morning, the

Ever since this past March, only three months ago, when Covid-19 descended upon, surrounded, and changed so much of life as we once knew it, we’ve begun to wrestle out a ‘new reality’ in terms of 1) what we say, 2) what we do, and 3) what all of it can begin to mean. Perhaps

An English poet & novelist once wrote, “Oh, the comfort — the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person — having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what

“This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.” Ralph Waldo Emerson The questions: What kind of world do we want to emerge from the ravages of Covid-19? And what part can I play in getting us there? Let’s say we’re in charge of that

Within a matter of hours By now the entire planet is caught up in the outbreak of a new disease that has frightened, sickened and killed thousands upon thousands, that has already shaken our financial markets to the core, that has disrupted travel and travel plans of thousands, that has closed schools… And whatever it

What does it mean to love, asked the Little Prince. It is an act too often neglected, said the Fox. It means to establish ties. To me you are still nothing more than a little boy, like a hundred thousand little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have

New Years Day morning. Fresh coffee in hand.[1] I open the new Sierra Magazine (Jan/Feb) to an article on forest fire lookout towers still scattered about the US. As if I had completely forgotten – in my college years I had tried to get a Summer job working/living in one of them. But the Summer