Go from burnt out to FIREd up.
As you’ve figured out, dear reader, there’s been a bit of sadness prevailing over my mood for the last few weeks, which is why this morning offered me an extraordinary symbol of hope. To understand, I must begin with an oblique explanation: I am an unrepentant Californian. As such, I have evolved dietary preferences for which I employ terms that …
This morning I walked my son to his first day of junior high school. On our brief walk, he was the adult. Me: I’m going to miss hanging out and playing strategy games. Him: We’ll still spend plenty of time hanging out. Me: You’ll be busy with school work and friends, which is normal. Him: I’ll need your help with …
As the school year begins with pandemic uncertainty hanging over us all, certain facts help keep me grounded in mundane reality. I have two kids in middle school, both of whom have been seeing an orthodontist for “monitoring.” The eldest child recently had her follow up, at which time it was deemed that her teeth were not going to straighten …
I recently read an article in the New Yorker by Heidi Julavits. On the surface, it was an exploration of an active volcanic eruption in an accessible area of Iceland not far from the capital of Reykjavik. The article accomplished many of the goals of excellent nature writing. It faithfully reproduced difficult to spell Icelandic cities. It delivered a sense …
I’ve started keeping a journal, the first time I’ve resumed this activity in a decade and a half. It brings to mind a 14 year old emptying her emotional life in looping cursive within a Hello Kitty bound book, all while lying in bed speaking on the phone with the cord wrapped around her hand – something out of an …
I am putting the finishing touches on this summer’s three week domestic travel itinerary, which will be a family road trip through northern California. I just totaled up the prices for our airbnb stays. Blame it on pent-up demand for travel, the relative safety of the outdoors, or simply the compelling nature of visiting our national parks, but it’s going …
I recently read about Parker Palmer in a book on life design, and my interest was piqued sufficiently to lead me to a commencement speech he gave at Naropa University in 2015. Naropa is a Buddhist educational center in Boulder, Colorado, so we had a not-your-typical-speaker at a not-your-typical-university scenario. I thought one passage moving enough to share as a …
Since returning from a three week family road trip across my home state of California, I’ve been in a state of flux, and it’s left me feeling uncertain at times, a bit down at others. For one, it would seem that Rome is burning. An entire third of our trip was altered at the last minute due to devastating fires …
Erik Erikson was a developmental psychologist and analyst who coined the term “identity crisis.” His theory of developmental stages remains influential, despite the fact that his education was more experiential than his fellow analysts, who often touted their more impressive institutional pedigrees.I was introduced to his theories as an undergraduate majoring in Human Biology, and they stuck with me. His …
Living in coastal California, one encounters significant exposed flesh on a daily basis. There are tattoos and tan lines and thongs to navigate. Despite this baseline, our family has mostly worn broad-brimmed hats and rash guards to pool and beach events. As one dad bluntly commented when our evidently out of place family arrived at a family pool party, “Here …