Yesterday I attended a birthday party for our grandson. It was his forth birthday. He has a good grasp of language now and is able to express his opinions, his desires quite well. The excitement on his face was unmistakable. He had reason to anticipate this special occasion long before the guest arrived at…
Late in the afternoon a almost-winter sun glowed pink through hazy clouds, I walked across the parking lot at the Roadster Shop in Mundelein. Earlier in the day while at Starbucks Dan asked me if I had seen the Road Rage street rod which had been taken to the SEMA show? Dan is a…
The source of this list has been lost. I cannot give attribution. I know that I am not the one who compiled these words. I think it is an act of resistance to share them in this era of disharmony, of unrestrained ego, of the illusion that conflict has a worthwhile outcome. Leadership demands…
We are engulfed in an immense ancient indifference that does not sleep or dream. Call it Nature if you will, though everything that is is natural— the lignite-bearing earth, the factory, a darkness taller than the sky. This out-of-doors that wins our release and temporary peace— not because it is pristine or pretty, but…
The years click by, one becomes older, and things get worse. Many would agree with this generalization of their experience. If one is unlucky it would be difficult to see life otherwise , beset with chronic medical issues, and subject to the indignities of medicare for treatment. Luck counts for a great deal in…
There are two more days left in November. Then comes December the darkest month, which is also the coming of Christmas. Christmas is a festival of lights. Darkness and light. This morning I wish that I were a bear having found a warm place to hibernate until spring. But I am not a bear…
That is a term that has not come to mind for many years. The concept means causation. Nothing comes to be apart from depending on many other things. It is an important, often used word in Buddhist texts. The Buddhist tradition takes cause and effect with total seriousness, –as serious as a heart attack…
We visited the ELMHURST ART MUSEUM on Saturday. May not one purpose of a holiday, be the opportunity to step outside of ordinary time, to be with friends and family, and to seek experiences that widen one’s world, increase one’s capacity to wonder? That is exactly what I wish for myself and for those…
Honduran migrants, October 2018 Perhaps confusion is a natural state of mind for us. The condition never completely goes away. We try to minimize confusion. Civilization is the construction of a “world” to reduce our confusion. The Natural world is given, not made by us. Nature is a congerie of living organisms and inanimate…
The Day After Thanksgiving, is a day off for most people. Starbucks is quiet. Baristas behind the counter are working leisurely, exchanging stories of their thanksgiving experience. Each family Thanksgiving is one-of-a-kind. It is rare to enjoy a leisurely meal together, not to speak of having extended family and perhaps friends join the circle…
