Health

The Beauty of Hitting Bottom

As a recovering alcoholic of 32 years, I’m always delighted to run across a fresh insight about addiction, such as the following from David Milch, fabulous writer of one of my favorite westerns, the HBO series “Deadwood,” set in raw, lawless South Dakota circa 1870, where you can hear the word “cocksucker” more times than you ever thought possible while marveling at the Shakespearean beauty of the exposition it embellishes and the characters who speak it.  Anyway, Mr. Milch’s ability to turn a phrase relating to addiction is equally memorable, if short on profanity:

Evidence that you’re close to hitting bottom:

Your circumstances are deteriorating faster

than you can lower your standards.

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Honoring Trump the Tornado

Breath of fresh air not withstanding, an opportunity will be missed if Trump’s eviction from his rental on Pennsylvania Ave is considered simply the end of a national nightmare.   Read More

The Invitation to Expand

 

The Covid-19 pandemic may be the most powerfully positive worldwide event in my lifetime of 77 years.  There are at least three reasons.

First, its disruption affects virtually everyone on earth in ways that are painfully unforgettable.  At the very least there is the specter of insecurity over however our future unfolds––individually and collectively.

As such, this disruption may very well be motivating enough to inspire action that creates a worldwide capability to respond constructively to crises that affect the human family as a whole.

The response I speak of is one that transcends superficial identities such as nationality and any form of social status.   

Second, a healthful response cannot be achieved by causing others pain.   The brutality of 911 prompted the US to say, basically, let’s go to war.  Challenges like Covid-19, though arguably more dangerous than 911, are immune to such immaturity.  The only meaningful response is one rooted in collaboration.

We are blessed with a distinct, if not unique, opportunity.  One where only an authentic appreciation for our common humanity will result in an outcome favorable to all. Read More

Meeting Perversion With Tenderness

 

A door has been opened to an unprecedented awareness of uninvited sexual behavior, primarily by men toward women.  How many of us walk through that door, and take meaningful action on what we discover, is the question before us.

At the moment, all sorts of highly visible men are being accused of some pretty toxic conduct, and are paying a hefty price in public condemnation, loss of employment, and maybe most importantly, loss of power.

While this response makes sense, it is also incomplete––if our intention long-term is to nurture healthier human relationships. Read More

"The push to change the words “nigger” and “injun” in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, because the so-called offensive nature of those terms might limit today’s readership and appreciation of that literary classic, is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how we avoid taking responsibility for our feelings––and therefore miss the chance to become more awake, more whole, more useful friends to one another."

The Essay: The Gold in Niggers and Injuns