The Real Magic Of Leadership

My daughter and I love to watch movies together. Since she is currently home for the holidays, we recently watched “Encanto” (we love Disney movies), and I was intrigued by many aspects of the story. The most relevant one for me involved the matriarch of a magical family and the way her leadership impacted all…

Read More

Sitting With Dogs

We have two dogs. Actually, our kids have two dogs that they left at our house when they went off to college and life away from our home. Roscoe and Dixie are both rescued dogs and have somewhat undeterminable lineages, but they are sweet, and both have the defining characteristic of dogs: they love us…

Read More

Safety In Numbers

As our last child is a senior in high school this year, we have seen many “lasts.” One was our last Christmas band concert. I must admit, I have, over the years, been an impatient and at times intolerant concert goer. This year was different. I not only really enjoyed the program, but I realized something…

Read More

The Turning Away

On the turning awayFrom the pale and downtroddenAnd the words they sayWhich we won’t understand Anthony Moore & David Gilmour A week ago in my recovery group, we were discussing the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is an interesting tale regarding a man who is robbed, beaten, and left for dead on the roadside.…

Read More

Rug Pull

Often used in comics and older movies, the rug pull is a classic slapstick move which involves grabbing hold of the rug someone is standing on and quickly pulling it towards you. The unsuspecting individual finds their feet going out from under them as they fall to the floor. This visual trope is the origin…

Read More

Despair-ity

I was in California this weekend to look at cars with my youngest son, his friends, and their dads. Fast cars, historic cars, unique cars, expensive cars. Driving between locations we also saw some spectacular cars on the street. What we also saw on the street were human beings living in tents, broken down vehicles,…

Read More

Sick And Tired

I got sick this past week, and I should have seen it coming. I have less than optimum sinuses. Two surgeries and a lot of OTC meds later, I live a mostly normal life, but from time to time I miss the clues, fail to care for myself, and end up with a sinus infection.…

Read More

A Rare Blossom

Purple lights, music, delicious food, awesome art, and most importantly, friends. That was the scene Friday night at the Fifty Fifty Party, a celebration in food, fun, and philanthropy of the life and art of one of my best friends, Farooq Karim. It was a wonderful evening that reminded me of something I need to…

Read More

No Temple Made With Hands

Last week, among the granite walls and centuries-old trees of the Yosemite Valley, I found myself thinking about connections. Seeing trees that are older than our civilization and a sky full of stars that are quadrillions of miles away, I felt small and insignificant. We worry about trivial things every day. Buildings, organizations, plans, accomplishments.…

Read More

The Right Question

I am writing from the west coast today. My surroundings and my companions create a sense of serenity that is refreshing and rejuvenating. Only a few days ago, I was listening to the story of a woman who spent much of her life in danger and in pain. I am acutely conscious of how blessed I…

Read More