Hello from another day of grading and coffee shops (not completely, but I will explain), It is another weekend, and for the moment it seems more like a September afternoon (though now overcast) than almost Halloween. I looked at my hometown in Iowa, and I spoke to Max up in Houghton, and both places wereContinue reading “And So It Goes”
Tag Archives: #sadness
Seasons and Siblings
Hello from a low-key Friday afternoon The metaphor of seasons is well-known, and its use across the genres of art is extensive. Immediately, Vivaldi’s classic Four Seasons, comes to mind, or another Italian, artist, Giuseppe Arcimbold painted four paintings on the seasons given to HRE Maximillian II. Scottish poet, James Thomson composed poems on tueContinue reading “Seasons and Siblings”
Struggling with my Scars
Hello from the hotel, I am continually amazed by the way our lives seem to be in an ending tension of sorts, the sort of push and pull between things that seem diametrically opposed. We are, on occasion, profoundly short-sighted while simultaneously planning things long-term. We are ostensibly pleased with our daily existence while worryingContinue reading “Struggling with my Scars”
Understanding Life
Hello on another day of significance, It’s an Election Day and as always the attempted reading of the tea leaves is on full boil. Additionally, there is an irony that the early morning news feeds all raced to be the first to report the passing of former Vice President/Secretary of Defense/White House Chief of StaffContinue reading “Understanding Life”
When Kindness is Dismissed
Hello on an mid-November evening, While my salutation is somewhat non-committal, and I am a generally optimistic person, the daily rejection of kindness or simple goodness in the world, the country, and even within my own minute corner of Bloomsburg of has me rethinking life on a fundamental basis. From basic manners or expressing careContinue reading “When Kindness is Dismissed”
Is Frailty a Gift?
Hello from the front tables at La Malbec, This a somewhat quiet Saturday evening (with the exception of wannabe Fast and Furious cars or Harleys that need to prove they have customized their exhaust), and I am sitting almost exactly in the same place I first experienced La Malbec. It is only me alone ratherContinue reading “Is Frailty a Gift?”
Facing Mental Illness with Compassion
Hello from a quiet table and pondering the struggle of so many, This past week I have been confronted with two specific incidences where a person certainly struggles with some form of mental illness. Let me begin with two important facts. I am not a psychologist nor a psychiatrist, nor do I have an MSW.Continue reading “Facing Mental Illness with Compassion”
Imagining a Century
Hello from my office at school, It has been a “manage-the-details” day. I am the chair of our department sabbatical committee, director of departmental internships, and an advisor to a couple of student groups. Each area needed attention today. I think I have about 95% of all the issues answered, but there is always somethingContinue reading “Imagining a Century”
My Conflicted Love-affair with Alcohol
Good morning from the Acre, I am back in Pennsylvania more about a month before my initial plan, but I believe it was a decision that needed to be made. As a person who plans more than some might believe, I can be flexible, but lack of control of my life or my schedule isContinue reading “My Conflicted Love-affair with Alcohol”
Realizing a Mistake and Blaming Myself
Hello from the acre, It has been a busy day and a disconcerting one. Progress has been made in so many ways, but progress in the world of imperfection is always fleeting and tenuous. It seems that might be the situation, but one time or misstep does not negate the advances accomplished . . .Continue reading “Realizing a Mistake and Blaming Myself”
