Category Archives: Uncategorized

Come back, Dad. I’m not ready to let you go. I know you were ready to go for some time. About six months, probably, ever since Mom went. I’d say life lost its thrill for you the moment she slipped … Continue reading →

The problem with Christmas is doing it. That is, doing all the things you think you need to do in order to make Christmas happen. Frequently, doing these things creates trouble. Take yesterday, Dec. 23, for example. The trouble began … Continue reading →

When I was a boy, maybe 8 or 9 or 10 or so, I came home from school one day and headed right to the typewriter. Hopped up on the chair and curled my feet under me so I could … Continue reading →

When death got personal, I couldn’t turn away the questions. Where are you, mom? Can you hear me? Can you speak to me? How are you doing? I ask the questions often, while going about my daily life. Sometimes I’ll … Continue reading →

So about the title of this series. When I was a kid I often went to the Collins Memorial Pool in Williamston, named after a local boy who had drowned in the gravel pit. Some fearless people like my brother … Continue reading →

This is not an ideal way to work. I’m sitting in a McDonald’s having just bought a latte (small) to justify setting up the laptop here. The reason I am here is the Starbucks just across the way doesn’t have … Continue reading →

The forces that bring men together socially are limited. Usually they involve large bags of chips of some sort, something to dip them into, a great quantity of beer and a big-ass screen on which to watch other men fling … Continue reading →

As an intermittent meditator for more than 30 years, I occasionally look for strategies to help me resume a regular practice. Lately I have taken to meditating while holding a cup of coffee. This may seem reckless and anti-meditative, since … Continue reading →

Running through John Ball Park on an exquisite June morning with sonic ecstasy hammering in my ears. With an iPod you can take the full rock experience anywhere, and I do. Dialed up the first mix I made for Andrea … Continue reading →

The idea took root a year ago: plant a garden in our backyard. A vegetable garden. Grow green leafy things to nourish our bodies right from home. High on a hill on Grand Rapids’ West Side, it seemed an inviting … Continue reading →