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I had been on the Ptarmigan Ridge trail over a dozen times before. I had already hiked it this season. Hiking in the Pacific Northwest involves checking multiple weather forecasts and smoke forecasts and hiking reports and transportation updates, and having the time and being healthy. The stars were aligned last Thursday. My wife and […]

I’ve really been struggling with this. I believe that I do the “right” thing most of the time, at least as often as the average person, for whatever that is worth. We will just assume of course that there is always a “right” thing which of course isn’t true! But, I know I don’t always

Yet again I wonder how normal I am? Are others as terrified of stepping, let alone leaping outside their comfort zone as I am? Do others even have comfort zones….or is the entire world their comfort zone? Would I swap my comfort zone(s) for yours? What would I trade in order to gain access to

Okay, this title is rather self-explanatory. The end. No, really, so very much depends on how you look at things. Even spectacularly important big things, things that seem so obviously “good” or “bad”. Maybe a better way to say this is everything is relative, but that seems to scare or offend many people. Remember, there

I’ve stumbled upon another liberating yet terrifying realization after years of searching and reading and hiking and receiving counseling. And with nearly everything I write, this is my learned non-professional understanding, so who knows how real it really is. So there!   Self is a projection. Self is purely a mental model, a story. Self

I forgive myself for never having learned to play a musical instrument, even though I love music (and math) so much. I forgive myself for never playing baseball. I forgive myself for being too insecure to ask out (so so many) different lovely ladies in my youth. I forgive myself for simply being insecure! I

How many people would be vegetarians if it were not for bacon? The candy of the meat world is a cruel temptress! How many people would be Jewish or Muslim? Do we have to cover our heads (basically Jews and Muslims) or may we not (basically Christians). And who’s uncovered heads offends God anyway, women

It happened again. I was talking with someone I hadn’t seen in at least half a year, a neighbor of sorts. After a bit of “we’ve been doing this and that” she mentioned that her daughter had recently been hospitalized for a dangerous eating disorder. The number of pounds she had fallen to scared me.

I’m currently traveling through Spain. I am visiting many new cities as well as some that I have been to before. I have visited several other cities in other countries on other trips as well, often separated by about a quarter century between visits. I am finding again and again that my reaction to a

I cannot imagine a world without my wife nor my daughter.   I cannot imagine a world without good music. How about red and purple sunsets? Don’t forget butter on warm crunchy baguettes. Not just good music, but pounding sweaty live music. That first or even second album in a small little club. Having your