A while ago, I posted a video of myself singing a song on Facebook, in honor of a well-wishes for a holiday. I did it to pass along my thoughts and respect, and ended up getting a lot of positive comments and “likes”. But one person had just one negative thing to say, that was…
Some time ago, I was visiting a friend and his family, and some of the pictures and stories started to come out about Ecuador. Every now and then when I tell stories, I’ll also begin to share about the encounters with nature that I’ve had. It usually starts with something small and a laugh, and…
Twenty-one years ago, I closed on my very first home. It was a condominium in the Back Bay of Boston, one of the nicest parts of the city. Even though you could hear a pin drop as you went about your home life, it was located in the most convenient part of the city. To…
When I was fresh out of graduate school, I first got an office temp job with a big-4 accounting firm while I was looking around for my first, full-time engineering job. After a few rounds, I found a place that I really clicked with, and so I had to give the folks at the temp…
Over several years when I’ve been back in Boston, I have often seen Michael around the Old State House, and we have a conversation every now and then. Usually squatted down on one knee and motionless, with his head down, he holds a retractable cane upright next to him, with an old cardboard sign attached.…
White T-shirts. I don’t have a great history at keeping them white. Yeah, I throw them in the wash all the time, but over time, of course they lose their whiteness. Recently I started to notice that it had got to the point where they needed more than the wash. So, I got some bleach…
Being someone that has moved around, I am always grateful for having a place to live. I like to be a part of the neighborhood and community wherever I live, so I’m usually out a lot in the neighborhood and community. I was living in a place shared with other folks for a few years…
There you are, a highly respected astrologer, who discerns the movements of the stars and planets to understand the divine effects on human life. And one night, you – maybe alone, maybe together with some colleagues – notice something different in the night sky, a star just like the others, but there’s something new about…
You’re Invited Are you looking for a supportive way to tell your own story of your personal experience of the Covid-19 pandemic, to help you process it and find more clarity and hope? I’m offering a 2-hour, online workshop to help people with that. Come and check out the information below, and feel free to…
My favorite movies become my favorites because they share something in common: a plot twist. A plot twist is a new piece of information that changes how you understand the whole plot line. It make you say, “Wow!” and then you have to re-think the whole storyline that you’ve followed so far. And one of…
A Christmas reflection – Merry Christmas and my best wishes for a well-fed season of peace!
A 1983 Chevy Monte Carlo. That’s what I drove around as I made daily hour-long trips back and forth to school as I was trying to finish my master’s degree back sometime in the 90s. I’d get into the car and switch into cruise control after a frustrating day trying to get motivated to write…
The boiler. Anyone who’s been responsible for a home knows those words. I bet they instill a sense of dread. Maybe even set off a headache. Well, in the church where I’m staying now, the hot water burner wasn’t working, so I went down to investigate. I’m no expert, but everything seemed to be in…
My parents’ house use to have trees around the different edges in the neighbors’ yards. Every year, the trees would drop their helicopter whirligigs, and some of them would sprout. If they weren’t caught and dug up in time, they would take root and start to grow. Well, one year there were a couple of…
One day I was at a meeting of religious education teachers. After a while as I listened in Spanish and caught the gist of what was being talked about, it became clear: they were upset that young people weren’t going to church. They were upset that the youth were losing their religion. They were upset…
