The thinking mind rambles on. Can’t that thing learn to shut up? — Getting out of the damn house can be such an ordeal. I step into the bedroom to pull on some shoes, and the rumpled sheets pester me to straighten them. Laundry spills from the basket. Alright! I’ll toss in a load. After stuffing the washer in the basement, I narrow…

Becoming a wise elder doesn’t happen by accident. We need to help each other navigate the changes. — A tree grows in the direction it’s already leaning. By the time it’s as old as we are, things can be pretty bent. Age-wise, the decade of our 60s is like concrete that’s not quite set. We still have time to reshape things, but not much. The clarion call is…

Kids these days. Us old folks need more contact with them. — Last winter my beloved Google Pixel 4a crawled from my coat pocket and swan dived straight into the toilet. I resuscitated its plastic heart and slapped it to life, but, sadly, the damage was done. A few weeks later, its screen flickered bizarrely, and then it flatlined. I approached shopping…

As an expat in Italy, three days in the hospital was a frightening, frustrating, and enlightening experience. — I’ve lived full-time in Italy for over four years. Though my language comprehension is increasing, let’s face it. I’m a nearly illiterate immigrant in a foreign land. That’s a far cry from my former life. Communication with people of all walks of life and understanding the dynamics of complex systems…

You can reach these destinations by bus, car, or eBike. — Take a Cable Car to the Top of a Mountain Overlooking Lecco

You can’t get there from here. But, only by trying do you discover “there” is “here.” — In 1981, when I was in my early 30s, A Course in Miracles landed in my life like a tsunami. The preface begins with Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God. I was in. Something grabbed me and drew me powerfully into what…

I’m using the Snowflake Method as a guide to sift through my many experiences in Uruguay — I lived in Uruguay for almost three years. It was a crazy, fun, tragic, and transformative time filled with colorful characters. After being away for four years, events from that era have composted. I can see the larger themes that played out. To jumpstart my writing I’m using the Snowflake…