Habari gani, brothers and sisters? Happy New Year! I'm pretty sure most of us (myself included) are spending the final day of Kwanzaa somewhat sleep-deprived and hungover, so I'll speak quietly and wish you the tastiest of greasy breakfasts and a quick recovery so you can start 2018 getting your shit handled. No matter how … Continue reading Kwanzaa, Day 7: Imani (Faith)
Category: Buddhism
(Personal) What I Brought Back From Europe
In August and September, work sent me one of their headquarters officers in Belgium for training on the product we support as part of an effort to foster more collaboration between the Support teams in Europe and the US. I was there for two weeks, with a "gap weekend" in Paris visiting a dear friend … Continue reading (Personal) What I Brought Back From Europe
(Personal) Crescent Shadows
Yesterday a rare event grabbed everyone's attention -- a total solar eclipse. While these happen roughly every 18 months or so, they tend to happen in unpopulated areas or on the open sea. What made the 2017 eclipse so special is the fact that the totality line cut a swath across the United States from … Continue reading (Personal) Crescent Shadows
(Personal) Spit and Vinegar into Clear Water
I think most Buddhists, if we're really honest with ourselves deep down, flirt with the daydream of what we'd look like enlightened. I know personally I would love to resemble Budai, the eternally-laughing bodhisattva known for his jovial attitude, wisdom, contentment, and the fact that you can rub his belly for good luck. In my … Continue reading (Personal) Spit and Vinegar into Clear Water
I’m…37? Yeah, 37.
Yesterday I celebrated my 37th birthday by watching Kubo and the Two Strings, playing two rounds of mini-golf, and having a dinner out with a few friends. It was tremendously fun, and I really appreciate folks coming out to help me ring in another personal new year. I have amazing friends, and to say that … Continue reading I’m…37? Yeah, 37.
(Personal) Mission Statement
This is an amazing world, inhabited by amazing people. We don't have to go very far to see an animal or plant that does something incredible, if we stop to think about it. All around us, there are countless people each with their own rich inner worlds and intense, beautiful, heartbreaking stories. I think the … Continue reading (Personal) Mission Statement
Zen & The Art of Getting Shit Done
It's been a hard couple of months for me, mostly because of a few unexpected emergencies. I got into an accident at the end of February that totaled my car, and it took about a month for my insurance company to make that decision and offer me a write-off settlement. I had spent a … Continue reading Zen & The Art of Getting Shit Done
(Personal) Accountability Report, February 2017
At the beginning of the month, I noted that while I hadn't quite achieved a perfect run on meditating and writing every day I had done pretty well for myself. There were a couple of days with Further Confusion where I didn't hit my goal and a few more towards the end of the month, … Continue reading (Personal) Accountability Report, February 2017
(Personal) The Importance of Love
We're less than 24 hours away from Valentine's Day, a holiday that a lot of people out there have a problem with. Traditionally we've thought of it as something only people linked in romantic relationships care about -- single people need not apply. I've always thought that this was kind of a limited view of … Continue reading (Personal) The Importance of Love
(Political) Social Justice Cleric
This is the fifth Presidential election of my politically active life, and each one has taught me something about the American public and the nature of being a responsible citizen. This one taught me perhaps the most painful but also the most important lesson: a community is only as good as the people who belong … Continue reading (Political) Social Justice Cleric