Have you been in a quiet forest when a dead tree falls? It does indeed make a sound. If you’re nearby, that sound can be quite impressive. It starts with a couple of loud cracks a few moments apart, then builds with more and faster loud bangs, the snaps of breaking branches, the crashing noises of branches and leaves against … Read More
I’m not ready…
When the people around you are looking to you, what do you do? Several times in my life, I have found myself looking around for someone else who could lead, who would know exactly what needed to be done and effortlessly take charge, someone who instantly inspired confidence in the rest of us. In those times I’ve been willing to … Read More
My Podcast Debut
A few weeks ago I met Valería Teles, the force behind the podcast “A Quest for Well-Being.” The eventual result was a thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating discussion that I’d like to invite you to hear. It’s available as a 38-minute podcast in Valería’s Fit For Joy page. Valería says “This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a … Read More
Finding myself on the beach
Do you feel an emptiness, a yearning for something that you cannot name? That is the universe calling to you. That is the Consciousness of which we are all a part reaching out, yearning for you, trying to penetrate the veil between itself and what you—we—have been molded into by the world we live in. You wonder, “How do I … Read More
Tending the garden of your self
Imagine that you are a garden, being tended by yourself. What kinds of soil preparation do you need to do? Is there a need for you to turn over some new soil through new experience, to dig and soften the soil of yourself with rest and nutrition, or to prepare yourself through being physically fit for growing good things within … Read More
Square House Blues
I wrote this a number of years ago, expressing a yearning I’d felt for a long time. Twice since then I’ve lived this life for a time, except that I’ve never neighboured anyone who kept bees. I did that myself. I’ve shown the chording I used, as a novice guitar player; feel free to use your own. Square House Blues – … Read More
Two Purposes: Soul and Person
I remember how annoyed I was the first time I heard the suggestion that I had chosen my earthly family and the circumstances of my birth before I was even born. “Them? No expletive way!” But there’s nothing like personal experience to create a change of perspective. You see, I’ve visited there many times now – the Other Side, that … Read More
Peace. The Good Message. Unity — Three principles for good governance and community.
The Peacemaker Principles are a gift from the Haudenosaunee people, known incorrectly as the Iroquois. When followed with integrity, these Principles provide a model and process for communication that fosters awareness, respect, and unity. The story of the Peacemaker Principles goes back hundreds of years to a time when a man known as the Peacemaker came to the area occupied … Read More
From fingernail dirt to infinity
Yes, I do enjoy gardening. Connecting with the land, planting seeds and bulbs, feeling awe at the sight of new growth — all of these help me to know my belonging in this world. I also find satisfaction in exploring my place in a larger context, while being solidly planted in the earth. That’s what this piece is about. You, … Read More
Two small poems
Your Eyes, 1 If I don’t hold your gaze, perhaps it is because you are so beautiful that I would weep for joy just to look into your eyes. That can make small talk awkward. Your Eyes, 2 If I hold your gaze perhaps it is because I want you to see your beauty reflected in my eyes And know … Read More