Forty five minutes early (unheard of) I arrived at Laguardia Airport and in short order was deep inside the cauldron that is New York.  It is a ‘hell of a town.’ as the song says.  The lyrics say ‘wonderful’ not ‘hell of’ but I bet you thought it was hell.  And it is, in both senses of the word. Renewing my Palace of Memory Have you heard of the “Palace of Memory?”  It is one version of a mnemonic practic... Read more

Who else remembers a 1960s Western called “Branded!” about a soldier falsely accused of cowardice and drummed out of the army in the wild west? Branding used to be Bad … coming from the act of burning a permanent mark into a cow or sheep to prove ownership.  Today, though, being “branded” means you have created a distinct style that identifies you in the hubbub of commerce.  More important than product or service is being well “branded!” Have I pitched... Read more

Jack Kornfield is famous for his book “After the Ecstasy, the Laundry” I haven’t read it, nor any of his other books.  So why mention him?  Because it inspired my title.  It will take a moment to explain why, though; maybe a few moments.  Let’s start with last night. Dinner is done – a melange of leftover roasted vegetables and a piece of bread with a smear of ricotta and olive oil. Very filling and satisfying.  Dishes dealt with, I... Read more

When it comes to dancing, grace is not my gift, but I have rhythm.  Robert Fulghum wrote about geek dancing, and if I am lucky I could be one because it is all about the rhythm.  Not the rhythm of the music but the rhythm behind the music. Ok, that’s a little esoteric, which is the word we use when it feels silly to say ‘woo woo.’  But honestly, rhythm is where it all happens.  From string theory with its... Read more

We all know the quote, right?  “Do or do not.  There is no try.”  Pretty deep for a puppet, I must confess.  But humans are not puppets and the world we inhabit is not Star Wars.  Yet it is a fact that something worth doing must be done, even badly. For that is another saying, though less cited, “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly,” from G. K. Chesterton. What am I talking about, though? It has been a month... Read more

Like the joke about how one eats an elephant (or a whale!) how one does a long pilgrimage is – “One Step At A Time.”  Somehow, though, that lesson must be relearned each time, which is why some people go on pilgrimage over and over.  That would be me.  So I am off to Europe tomorrow to begin the many days and miles that are the Via Francigena. Even Steps Have Steps Being old, and responsible, I am not doing... Read more

Been There, Done That Speaking of Sacred sites, and to make good on my claims in the last post, I am going to share some genuinely sacred sites, holy spots, spiritual places, that did not make the the Top 100.  There are not 100, appealingly round as that number is, and I will mention only one in this post. What distinguishes these from the Top 100 is that I have been there. Speaking of Other Sacred Sites, Some are Obvious... Read more

This being a blog about pilgrimage as a way of life, it makes sense to head off on my next official venture, The Via Francigena.”  It is 2000 km from Canterbury to Rome, but I am only going 250 km this time. Were it up to me, I would go the whole way at once.  But life rarely affords such time when one has a spouse, a house, a family.  Thus I will do this in multiple stages. The first... Read more

My title is an actual book title, “Embracing Presence,” published by a friend I have never met in person, Ken Collier.  We know each other via social media, introduced by mutual friends.  He also is a clergyman, and kindly asked me for some critical attention when finishing the manuscript, which is why I know it and like it. So Why Mention It? Well, I do want good ideas to get around, so feel free to check it out, but the... Read more