Today a woman asked me, “how do you feel about (highly-controversial issue)? Are you on (one side) or (the other)?” Pause. Me: “Well, I, gravitate toward (one perspective).” She said, “oh….” then launched into a one-way run-on sentence from “facts” off the internet supporting the other side, hers. After a very long time, I said.… Continue reading How to talk
Category: writing
Vote For Us 2020
I haven’t talked about my presidential campaign for quite a while. There have been a lot of distractions. I want to be perfectly up-front, I support open carry. Oregon already is open carry, but I will push for all states to fall in line. By open carry, of course I mean the open carry of… Continue reading Vote For Us 2020
One morning while talking poetry
“I’m not dying yet, so I need to do something,” said Ilene. She is 88 years-old. The front deck is wet from the night’s rain. The red flowers and the orange cat glow in the grey morning light. Today we met for poetry club. Three of us gather once a month to share a poem… Continue reading One morning while talking poetry
Passing through
I walked behind a man leaving the library. He glided out, totally avoiding contact with the door, to let it slam shut for the next person, me. I can open a door, so it’s not a hardship. I just think we need to realize we are not the only ones walking through doors. I hold… Continue reading Passing through
At Home
I might sell SCOBY* babies for $1 at my house. It will be like U-Pick; you pick and I sell it to you. Today I thought of giving one to someone I know to help with gentle focus. It would never make kombucha. It would provide a jar for intent, attention toward something small that… Continue reading At Home
Wild Iris Ridge
Half the group waited at the wrong trailhead. After an hour of walking, we found the group we were looking for. Wild iris ridge opened in 2017 and is part of Eugene’s ridgeline trail system (though not actually connected). Many large oaks, madrone clusters, and bushels of poison oak decorate the landscape. The views are… Continue reading Wild Iris Ridge
What’s your call? What’s your song?
I had a next-step salon before I knew what it was. There were five of us, approximately 40-80 years old, talking about how to make change or react to change. We took turns sharing about something we were thinking about doing, trying, or re-doing. It was an in-between space; a temple for open discussion for… Continue reading What’s your call? What’s your song?
What causes you suffering?
It’s a great ice breaker to ask, “what causes you suffering?” I’ve been asking people this lately and they tell me immediately and seem relieved to be asked so directly. This is what happens if you read too much Thich Nhat Hanh. You get all Buddhist about things. You might even start applying stuff from… Continue reading What causes you suffering?
Port Townsend
The areas of the brain that process emotional thought and response are larger, percentage-wise in the brains of orcas than any other animal. So said a sign at the visitor center in Port Townsend. Port Townsend is a place that I love. Historically, some people say it’s “the city that whiskey built.” I didn’t drink… Continue reading Port Townsend
Sol Duc retreat
No computer, no TV, no cell service Sol Duc resort sits down on the floor of Washington’s Olympic National Park. Sol Duc is said to mean “sparkling water,” and was discovered by non-natives around 1880. Sitting in the hot sulphur water, about 30 of us watched a man high up on a rickety ladder, replacing… Continue reading Sol Duc retreat