Posted in Uncategorized on December 2, 2012| 9 Comments »
Since writing Guardian in the Night, I’ve been asked a number of times to explain the concept of Fudoshin. I learned the concept originally from my martial arts teacher, Master Daniel Cohen, who taught me much of its meaning.
Unpack Fudoshin and you find flavors of ‘immovable mind’, ‘immovable heart’, and ‘immovable spirit’.
Gandalf and the Balrog explain more.
Posted in Uncategorized on November 22, 2012| 10 Comments »
Things I’m thankful for:
Mommy and daddy love Toddler Tunes on Pandora as much as I do. 24/7 baby.
People think it’s cute when I fart. This will last forever.
We can all relive Bobcat Goldthwait in all his 80’s glory on Youtube whenever we want. (Would you believe he makes dark, serious movies now? Who woulda thunk…)
Posted in Uncategorized on October 20, 2012| 19 Comments »
“Mr. President, the Soviet ships are turning back.”
“Thank heavens. Action stations stand down. Set condition three throughout the ship, but keep the alert fighters at high readiness. The enemy may be licking their wounds, but they’ll regroup and come back at us hard.”
Posted in Uncategorized on October 10, 2012| 43 Comments »
Action stations, action stations. Set condition one throughout the ship. This is not a drill.
October 15, 1962. CIA informs the State Department that the Soviets have medium-range ballistic missiles on the ground in Cuba. The next morning, President Kennedy begins reviewing photographs. By 6:30 p.m. Kennedy convenes 14 military and national security advisers to come up with options.
Posted in Uncategorized on October 8, 2012| 15 Comments »
Editor’s note: This week one year ago – Flutie to Phelan – It Begins.
A few months ago I was chatting with a couple of my fellow inmates at the hospital about our brief experiences at home. Learned some, shared some, and got a lot of great ideas.
That’s when it hit me!
Posted in Uncategorized on September 8, 2012| 43 Comments »
Last week Ari took Erica and me on a little walk around Ogunquit. I notice a woman staring at me from about 30 feet away as she walks towards us. I’m used to this kind of behavior, of course. I start waiting for the winky winky, but then she’s stares at Erica, too. Strange.
When she walks by, she looks in the stroller, and turns to her two friends and says, “That’s baby Ari.”
Posted in Uncategorized on August 15, 2012| 35 Comments »
Thy life is one of very little ease.
I feel terribly lazy writing post after post in diary-like chronicle format, but it’s such a good way to answer the “What the hell just happened?” question.
Let’s start from the beginning. I was born the son of a sharecropper…
OK, not that far back. Let’s start with, “What the hell just happened?”
Posted in Uncategorized on August 1, 2012| 46 Comments »
The last couple of weeks have been a seesaw battle. Doing well one day and not so well the next, but it seems I’ve crossed the hump from professional to recreational convalescent.
They sent me packin’.
It’s been a long road, gettin’ from there to here. But here we are indeed, giving up our “apartment” in the city for our house on the lake. Time to 5,000 it and unlax on the dock.
Posted in Uncategorized on July 20, 2012| 15 Comments »
People get all twisted up in their skivvies when it comes to writing. I’ve always thought if you can answer the following three questions it makes it much easier to get down something sensical.
Here are my answers for today:
You’ll probably feel that I’m cute and such, but whatever I write, that’s likely to happen just from the picture. You can sort the rest out with your shrink.
In terms of action, I suspect some of you will want to meet me and gimme some lovin’. Some of you will be keen to pop out some more kids of your own. Perhaps others will start researching IUDs and vasectomies. Who knows what you’ll actually do, though. I heard you’re the volatile type.
It’s really not your fault, though because, frankly, I have no idea where I’m going with this.
Enjoy.
Posted in Uncategorized on July 15, 2012| 11 Comments »
Destiny be warned. Your grip may be strong, your judgment severe, but we resist you. We have the strength.
Who are we? The broken children. The little warriors.
Were we alone you may defeat us. You’ve fought this battle and won since the dawn of time. You are powerful, and, yes, we are small.
It may seem sometimes that you are too strong. That the die is cast. That the ending has been written.
Not true. We resist.
But not alone. Were it not for the Warrior Nurse, the Guardian, you may defeat us.
When we are drained the warrior renews our strength. She empties her well to fill ours, and we raise our banners anew.
When we are afraid—terrified—so frightened we may lay down our fight, she pours in us her bravery, absorbing our fear and restoring our snarl.
When in the midst of the battle’s darkest hours our skins get tough and the walls around our hearts grow taller, she steels herself to give us laughter. She swallows our pain and gives us joy.
When Kayla down the hall falls after her mighty battle, even the warrior is shaken.
Warrior, we need you still. The fight continues.
Fudōshin!
She does not fall. She returns to her post. Guardian in the night.
Destiny be warned. The warrior will not stand down.
So we, the broken children, the little warriors, will defeat you.
Echo of Hope 