It was May 19, 1980. I had just spent three days on a religious retreat at the Havilah Retreat Center about 100 miles north of Vancouver, Washington. As a religious studies Student-Intern, I was asked to be part of a Deacon’s and Deaconess’ spiritual awakening weekend. They were such wonderful people. Gracious. That’s how I…
I have learned to enjoy solo backpacking, mostly. My first solo backpacking trip was in the Grand Canyon about 20 years ago. I was going to do three nights and four days solo and then join a small group of friends for an additional three nights at the bottom of the Canyon. Solo backpacking requires…
My Superpower I wanted to quit. I was a quarter of a mile from the summit of Mount Quandary, and I wanted to quit. I could see a small crowd of hikers gathering at the top. Sitting. Enjoy enjoying a snack. Laughing. Prior to Quandary, I had summitted twelve 14ers. In fact, I had done…
Jim Fixx died from a heart attack while running, on July 20, 1984, at age 52. Does that name ring a bell? Fixx was a runner and wrote the best-selling book, “The Complete Book of Running.” He played a major role in the Running Revolution. In 1967, at age 35, Fixx decided that he needed…
I wake up. Check my phone. Weather. E-mails. Amazon Prime deliveries. My wife gets up and makes coffee for us. I sit up on the edge of the bed. My wife is delivering coffee, and I get a good hug. I walk to the bathroom and take care of business. After taking care of business,…
Have you ever been to a Tent Revival or Crusade? I think they still have them. They can be frightening. I mean, after all, weren’t they designed to scare you? Kind of? Billy Graham is the evangelist that I remember watching on TV back in the 70s and 80s. He warned his audience that we…
The Exorcist Jeff Wilson, my high-school best friend, and I decided to go to the theater and watch The Exorcist. The movie had just come out in December of 1973. We were both seniors about to graduate. I was headed to the Air Force, he was headed to college. Both tough guys, but 45 minutes…
The Failed Campaign I ran for Office once. It wasn’t what you think, or maybe it was what you think. About 20 years ago I was asked if I would run for the position of the President of the National Association of Social Workers-Kentucky Chapter. The moment that I said, yes, I regretted it. It…
It’s the 4th of July weekend and of course that means the Twilight Zone Marathon. I don’t advise watching it for 72 hours straight. It’s like having CNN or Fox News constantly playing in the background. The main characters of each of these episodes finds themself in a completely helpless situation. Think about it. Hours…
Warning: This episode is about my Money Complex, or rather our Money Complex and is very personal. Your Money Complex is made up of all your experiences, images, and memories that you have about money, and it influences your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors about money. Your Money Complex is mostly unconscious, operating independently and sometimes…
