Thought

When I was 22 years old, just out of college, living in Manhattan, I worked for a while at a 24-hour restaurant called “Lox Around the Clock.” It was next door to the iconic Limelight Nightclub, which was probably the…

A couple of weeks ago, I was working at my desk, trying to stay focused, but also handling several other minor pieces of business simultaneously Texts and emails were lighting up my devices periodically throughout, and I was meeting those…

“Everyone has a purpose in life and a unique talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal…

“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with freedom.”— Bob Dylan I’ve been going to yoga again, once or twice a week. [Hot yoga, which is something I swore I’d never repeat after a brutal experience about…

I’ve been enjoying an etymology podcast lately: Words Unravelled, with Rob Watts and Jess Zafarris. He’s British and she’s American, and they both have a wonderful knowledge and love of language. Usually they start with a broad topic — e.g.…

“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and then thinking that having problems is a problem.” — Theodore Isaac Rubin We’ve all got problems, plenty of them. Personal stuff, shared stuff, global stuff… Significant…

We were setting up for Sunday service a couple of weeks ago, with the usual bustle of preparation — sweeping, brewing coffee, unfolding chairs, stuffing songbooks, setting the lights and music. My friend Bryn was arranging materials on the information…

A few weeks ago, I was scheduled to meet a new patient, a lady with advanced dementia who lives in a memory-care facility. I called her daughter beforehand to see if she was able to be there for this introduction,…

I don’t use the word “hallow” much.  Practically never.  I might change that. I’m familiar with the idea of hallowed ground, of course, but I can’t remember ever describing anyplace as such.  And I know the phrase “Hallowed be Thy…

To move heaven and earth means to be relentless, to go to the greatest lengths, to give it everything we’ve got. It conveys incredible commitment, impressive strength, and heroic determination. The phrase is deliberate exaggeration or hyperbole. We’re not supposed…