WE DIDN’T LEARN A THING Vietnam. Of course any war will do for this discussion. They’re all the same. Scared people armed to the teeth. Jumpy as shit and not fully aware of their purpose or duties. Unschooled in ethical behavior nor should they be for the job they’ve been handed. I recall when my … More Vietnam the TV Movie
I’ve given the concept of culture some thought and what I’ve discovered is that I am not a team player. As much as I admire groups for their work and desire to improve their surroundings I resist joining in the effort one hundred percent because there seems to be a hidden cost involved. The hidden … More CONFORMATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, SALIENT FEATURES, AND THE HORRORS OF GROUPTHINK
TUAREG I Have Sisters and Brothers Living in Mali Someone asked me recently if I’d ever tried writing in stream-of-conscious style. I can’t remember who it was even though it was just a few days ago. But today I clearly demonstrated to myself I can certainly think in that fashion. Especially if I have an … More Sahara Tribes, Touareg, and Toronados! Oh, my!
This is one of my favorite stories. It needs work still but is good enough to publish here. I touched it up this early morning so it is more readable than before. The story is true and happened just as it is told. All the characters have undergone name changes to protect…what, I don’t know. … More Paying Homage to Bill Shamphan
I have been reading some tantalizing stuff lately. Psych stuff. Knowing one’s self. Being present. Letting things unfold. Patience, tolerance, recognition of self in the place one is, where one lives and breathes. The Shadow. The Dark side of our psyche. The difference between the two. So I wrote this piece today using knowledge and … More Picking Fly Shit Out of Pepper.
The day is overcast. I felt the muggy, warm air against my face when I opened the slider first thing this morning. It was warmer out than in. I stepped outside. Not like last night. Last night I stepped out naked after dark. After Labor Day the population around here drops by half or more. … More Brooding. It’s a Good Day For it.
I’ve lost many friends through the years and now the times are compressing faster than my poor heart can keep up. John fell and hit his head in when he stumbled in Newport News. He didn’t do the prudent thing. He died a few days later after a splitting headache. Gill live on a barrier … More Grieving Though a Poem and the Poetry of Grieving.
As I recently advised my friend Naomi, if she was working today, “the weekend is time and a half and the holiday is double time”. Of course some of these words don’t apply in the workplace now that unions are seen in a bad light. That is another story for another time. Tomorrow is Labor … More Labor Day, Overtime Pay, and Mister Chou.
Subtitle could be: Playing Fair and Being Kind is Paying Off. I am just about recovered from that 30 hour dash to D.C. from Boothbay and back just before facilitating a 3 day AVP workshop at Maine State Prison. This schedule tends to put me in an isolating mood for a few days after. I … More The Learning Doesn’t Stop, Paying Attention, and Refining My Life.
Today I co-facilitated the first day of a three day workshop in Maine State Prison Medium Unit. We have a fine group of participants. Getting to this point has been like the proverbial herding cats but it is all worth the effort. I’ve learned that it all works out in the end, mostly. I’m not … More It’s Been a Week! Greasing Skids, Moving Kids, All Good.
Playing Fair and Being Kind 