It seems I mark the eras of my life not so much by the years, but by the canine companions I shared time with.
Remembering Ronin
About Trauma
“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.”~ Dr. Peter A. Levine Beautiful way of explaining how the nervous system works and the difference it can make to have someone be fully present. https://www.facebook.com/517217658/posts/10158917456287659/?d=n
Life as Story
Life as a storytelling activity.
A Sibling Story (not for the Squeamish)
Warning: this story isn’t for the squeamish. My sister lived with me for a few years in Tallahassee while she studied at Florida State University. We shared a two-bedroom, one bath apartment on the ground floor of a fourplex in a leafy neighborhood close to downtown. One night, I roused from bed by a commotion… Continue reading A Sibling Story (not for the Squeamish)
Love is Love – #PaulandErinTLA
In a couple days, it will be 19 years since Erin and I went on our first date - a Saturday matinee of The Bourne Identity. And 5 years since our hastily-planned state-sanctioned marriage on the south lawn of the Texas Capitol. In the EARLY morning, before heat. On a Wednesday. And with the sprinklers… Continue reading Love is Love – #PaulandErinTLA
Rainbow Spirituality
Early on, there were times I wasn’t sure being gay was compatible with having a life worth living. But even during those dark times, if someone had offered me a pill to make me straight I would’ve declined it. I clung onto a belief, instilled in grade school at St Mary’s in Balboa, Panamá, that… Continue reading Rainbow Spirituality
The Farmer’s Horse
Ever heard the story of a farmer and his horse? “One day a farmer’s horse runs away. And his neighbor comes over and says, to commiserate, “I’m so sorry about your horse.” And the farmer says “Who Knows What’s Good or Bad?” The neighbor is confused because this is clearly terrible. The horse is the… Continue reading The Farmer’s Horse
Remembering Ancon Hill
Ready for a trip down my memory lane? This picture posted on FaceBook reminds me of my first job. It was a summer student assistant job while I was at Balboa High School, in the former Canal Zone of the Republic of Panamá. This was 1983 or 84. I was 16 or 17. The rest… Continue reading Remembering Ancon Hill
Dispatches from Mushroom Space: My Psilocybin Retreat
In college, I once drank a cup of magic mushroom tea. It was at a party, before going out to Club Park Avenue with my roommates. This was over thirty years ago, in Tallahassee. And it continues to be the most vivid and fun memory of the times I spent at CPA. My re-introduction to… Continue reading Dispatches from Mushroom Space: My Psilocybin Retreat
Einstein on the Ego, Interconnectedness, and Liberation
A human being is a part of the whole, called by us 'Universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our… Continue reading Einstein on the Ego, Interconnectedness, and Liberation