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QUIET WORK OF AN ENGLISH DAY

June 2, 2024 by

Quiet work is the sound of silence. It’s the sound of fingers on a keyboard, pages turning. Not so much with guitar practice and a dog. But those get palm muted.

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WINNING ARGUMENTS: THEN AND NOW

February 6, 2024 by

Winning arguments with strangers is one thing; winning the same argument with someone close comes with side-effects. Someone close? How close. Let’s start with an internal argument, that little voice that won’t go away. Can’t get any closer than that, huh?

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LIVING TOGETHER, DYING TOGETHER, RIDING THE WAVE

August 28, 2022 by

Living together doesn’t always mean living under the same roof. The same goes for dying together. When we lose someone close, we lose a little bit of ourselves. But we never lose the shared memories. This is one of them:

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MEMORIAL SERVICE AT SEA FOR SUSAN

August 21, 2022 by

Speaking at a memorial service needs to hit home. Or don’t do it at all. I’m doing a short speech on a long boat three miles off shore. It’ll go like this:

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TRAUMA WORK: WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

June 22, 2022 by

Professionals, trained professionals, do trauma work. They do the work with traumatized people. The work starts when someone thinks they need help, or they’re told they need help. It sounds like this: “You need help, so get help.” Sounds simple enough?

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SANDCASTLES AT SUNSET

September 11, 2021 by

Sandcastles, from the most ornate to a bucket of wet sand turned upside down, all have one thing in common: They don’t last. But instead of mourning the loss of the castle, think of this: You have a chance to build another one, a better one, one that will last. Knowing it won’t last never […]

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Funeral Feelings Expressed With Shovels And Sweat, Salt And Sea Water

September 1, 2018 by

  “My father always wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding and the baby at every christening,” said his daughter.     My father had a cowboy funeral.   Instead of the nearest Boot Hill, his ceremony happened in the veterans section a big cemetery.   People from every […]

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Auntie Pammy Leaves Legacy Of Lennox Lancer Love

August 2, 2018 by

  Life transitions can mean so many things. After all other guesses run out, the final life transition is the end. Auntie Pammy’s life ended, but she left a legacy of love that’s hard to ignore.   From the time the news went out I thought of the a meme that said, “Write about what […]

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GYM MEMORIAL FOR BOOMERS

April 17, 2018 by

  The first thing you notice in a new gym is the pecking order. Strong guys group together. Old guys over there. Young men pumping out the reps. Ladies all over the place on every piece of equipment.   Women have the gym all figured out. Guys not so much.   Over time a few […]

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