OWLcourage
a blog invested in hope and creative possibility

A dear and cherished friend occasionally feels compelled to affirm her conviction about my life purpose: “You are a truth teller!” She knows her assertion does not make my heart sing. Rather, it conjures images of the Salem witch trials and blurred news reports of an elderly woman, a shaman who lived on the edge of the village, mysteriously stoned to death. It also implies I know “the Truth” which is a bridge too far for me. To avoid the implications of her messaging, I opt

I am rather certain that I am not the only person with dramatically engorged “mail boxes”, awash in both email and text messages. This is a symptom of impending elections for US congressional seats and local governance roles. While the “mail” pattern itself is familiar, it seems to me this cycle is excessive, almost frantic in scope and content. It is perhaps a tribute to my efforts to “see both sides” that I am receiving these messages from both sides of the aisle. With suc

Yet another poem.... Possibilities Joy lurks in shadowed crevices among the shattered shards of its own cautious history of gains and losses. There is no conversation here. Syllogisms leave the field defeated. Fog fairies tangle their voluptuous hair in the trees and bushes, into the weeds. I am no vanquishing or vanquished warrior. I make no claims. Athena also lurks, With an incautious grin, watching me. "I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will for

Like snow, sleet and rain, emotions show up. Many float through our lives and move on, sometimes barely noticed. Others persist. Indeed, we can encourage them to move in, offer them food and shelter, and make them part of our personal journey. Good examples of this are disappointment and resentment. I have a list of emotions that seem to me to have little redemptive value, and hence I work to ensure they do not move in with me. Near the top of the list are shame, guilt and