A Sacred Form of Strength

Hello from a rather sparse space, Sometimes we find ourselves in situations unexpected, and the reasons are general more than some simple cause/effect sort of dialectic. And as importantly, or maybe more so, it is the consequence of a basic character trait, and even a perceived strength, but something that has been demonstrated or practicedContinue reading “A Sacred Form of Strength”

Vertical or Horizontal? Perhaps a look at numbers might reveal something

Hello from the Campus Starbucks, Familiarity can be a double-edged sword, most certainly, but sitting back in Starbucks at the Andruss Library is a good thing. The rearrangement of the traffic flow as well as the tables makes getting some work done much more arduous, but thank goodness for a charged phone. The memories ofContinue reading “Vertical or Horizontal? Perhaps a look at numbers might reveal something”

ABD and Buslife

Hello from the soggy Cumberland Plateau, The last 36 hours or so have been a struggle to get anything done as it has rained off and on since Sunday and now pretty much non-stop for the last day and a half. I had hoped to be on my way back north by yesterday. Now IContinue reading “ABD and Buslife”

Understanding the Consequences

Hello from the bus, It’s early morning, and I am sleeping on an air mattress in a sleeping bag (well, not actually sleeping because I’ve started this blog). It is September 11th, a consequential day in American history. It is also a day, where as a gun-owning culture, we are confronted with the shooting ofContinue reading “Understanding the Consequences”

Nomad-life and a new Education

Hello from the mountainside, For the last 10 days, and foreseeable future, with a required trip to Pennsylvania sandwiched in, and before another wedding in Georgia, I am at a bus building camp in somewhat North Central Tennessee. The address is technically Spencer, but I am seven miles away or so, on Baker Mountain. TheContinue reading “Nomad-life and a new Education”

Lonely Wind

Hello from a Starbucks on Clinton Street, It is in downtown Iowa City, where I once wandered as a student in 1982. Hard to believe it was that long ago, but it is the beginning of another academic year and there are students everywhere. I have been managing things as I work toward getting seriousContinue reading “Lonely Wind”

American Gothic and My Iowa Roots

Hello from rural Mallard, It’s about the end of the day, the sun is setting, I can smell livestock from the hog containment facility down the road, and yes, there are flies (scads of them). It was a productive day as I got the weather stripping for the main bus door ordered, and the majorityContinue reading “American Gothic and My Iowa Roots”

Aspiration is Life

Hello from the Main Bus Station in Kraków, This is when this post began, but the lack of synchronization with devices from WordPress seems to have lost it. However, with minimal revision, the post remains relevant. Reflection is a central element of life for me. Recounting, reimagining, reconsidering what has happened, where I have been,Continue reading “Aspiration is Life”

Truly Unexpected or Simply Avoided

Hello from the Beetle, I am waiting to meet someone, preparing to share breakfast and listen to their stories about being in a new place for their summer. Four amazing young people have traveled from Quito and Cuenca in Ecuador to spend a summer learning new skills in the restaurant, and in some ways theyContinue reading “Truly Unexpected or Simply Avoided”

Faith, Piety, and Practice

Hello from a McDonalds on Interstate 80, I am on my way to a pinning ceremony for a former Lock Haven student, one of the more incredible students I ever had the opportunity to have in my class(es). She ended up with me by accident when I took over a class at a sister institutionContinue reading “Faith, Piety, and Practice”