That night The Philosopher had many dreams. They swirled around his head like a kaleidoscope. Upashna, The Princess of EarthSea. The gatekeepers, Extor, Free and Mingus. The stone walls of the labyrinth, the forest of trees, the desert with four suns. He could no longer remember who he was or what he was searching for. …
A Writer’s Diary – The Ritual In The Routines
There are certain things I do everyday. I get out of bed, I go to the bathroom, I wash my face, I brush my teeth, I make up my bed, I look outside at my mountain, I look at the sky to check the weather, I put water in the microwave, I put leaves or …
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The Philosopher – 11 The Last Gatekeeper
After Upashna and The Philosopher refreshed themselves and dressed in the fresh clothing provided by their host Extor, the third gatekeeper of the labyrinths, they meet each other at the entrance to the tent which Extor had also provided for their use and comfort. “A warm bath in the pool and a set of fresh …
The Philosopher – 10 The Desert Labyrinth
“Philosopher.” “Yes?” “I think I can walk now. You can put me down,” said Upashna. “O’ I had grown use to your being in my arms but if we are to get through this desert labyrinth we will each do better under our own power.” This desert had four suns and it looked as if …
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A Writer’s Diary – Remembering Mom
Every man or woman who is sane, every man or woman who has the feeling of being a person in the world, and for whom the world means something, every happy person, is in infinite debt to a woman. Donald Woods Winnicott (April 07, 1896 – January 25, 1971) This Hollow Emptiness In My Soul …
The Philosopher – 9 The Second Gatekeeper
The Philosopher, who no longer knew himself by that name nor responded to it except when called by Upashna for they met in the realm of magic where he sacrificed his name for passage through the first gate, picked up their two packs placing one across his chest and the other on his back. He …
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A Writer’s Diary – Asking For What We Need
Why do we make asking for what we need so difficult? There should be no shame in asking in the same manner there should be no shame in saying, ”Yes or No.” No one is obligated to give just because they are asked. For whatever reason we make the decision to assist or not is …
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The Philosopher – 8 The Journey Continues
The Philosopher and Upashna were through the first gate. They felt a sigh of relief which soon faded when they looked up and realized the stones which formed the walls of the labyrinth before were now a forest of trees. “The unchanging factor when traveling in magical realms is that they are always changing,” said …
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The Philosopher – 7 The First Gatekeeper
“We must complete the journey through the labyrinth within the next forty eight hours. It is imperative that we arrive in the Other Realm by the third night of the new moon. My father told me to keep due North whenever possible,” said Upashna. “Our only choice right now is to go either west or …
The Philosopher – 6 Enter The Labyrinth
When Upashna awakened the next morning, The Philosopher, his bedroll, pack and staff were not there to be seen. Her heart felt a sudden emptiness in his absence. He was a man she had only met two days ago but she was inspired by his joy, his views of life, his vitality and love for …
The Gate Keeper Of Inspiration: Book II Chapter Fifteen — Albert Camus
It is one of those early rainy mornings that I love as much as the warm sunny mornings which also awaken my heart. I just returned from a rather long stroll through he gardens and to the other side of the lake. Along the way I encountered many of our wonderful guest. I am very …
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A Writer’s Diary – Isolation Day 50 – Everything Is In Its Place
Following the abrupt, unexpectedness of a heart attack three and a half years ago I started to put my end of life wishes in order. You know what I’m talking about, those things growing roots in the back of your memory to prevent them from moving forward and getting done. Those things which claim squatter …
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The Philosopher – 5 The Night Before
The sun was just beginning to set below the surrounding mountains when Upashna and The Philosopher reached the stone labyrinth. Above the entrance was a sign written in an ancient language. Upashna said the language was once used by the First Wizards. Her father had taught her to read and write the forgotten script when …
A Writer’s Diary – The Downward Spiral Of America
You and I are told increasingly that we have to choose between a left or right, but I would like to suggest that there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down — up to a man's age-old dream; the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law …
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The Philosopher – 4 The Unexpected Journey
Upashna woke early before the sun and made a hearty breakfast of porridge, fresh warm eggs from her hens and dates from the tree near the cabin. She rolled the leftover bread from the night before in a moist towel for later in the day along with some berries and herbs from the garden. The …
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Why Is Life Worth Living?
Why is life worth living? Okay, for me, I would say...well, Groucho Marx, to name one thing, and Willie Mays and the second movement of the Jupiter Symphony and Louis Armstrong's recording of 'Potato Head Blues', and um, Swedish movies, naturally. Sentimental Education by Flaubert, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, those incredible Apples and Pears by …
A Writer’s Diary – Isolation Day 42 – When Will It Be Over
Somewhere in the area of twenty two years ago I watched an episode of Star Trek Voyager. I remember being a fan of the first two Star Trek series Original and Next Generation but except for a few memorable episodes, Voyager never settled into my fading TV viewing habits at the time. In the Voyage …
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The Philosopher – 3 The Wizard Of SwanSea
As he lay unconscious on the floor of the small cabin, The Philosopher dreamed he was in a different, far off land, a land of dragons where he was the only human who walked upon the earth. He felt a wave of water upon his face. “Wake up! Wake up.” The distant sounding voice called …
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A Writer’s Diary – Two Fantastic Women
I love my two isolation mates. Good thing as we have shared the last month together and will most likely share at least one more. They have their room, office space and hotel duties and I have my space. We get together for delicious Ecuadorian lunches, language exchange lessons and for the occasional movie. Life …
A Writer’s Diary – The “Unexpected”
President Donald Trump has frequently insisted that "nobody" could have seen the coronavirus outbreak coming and that it "came out of nowhere." But Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old ophthalmologist in Wuhan, China who was the first to raise the alarm about a dangerous new virus saw it and notified the authorities on December 30, 2019. Trump’s …
Preparing For The Unexpected
Preparing For The Unexpected I love books. Even though I no longer work at the library, nor is my collection of books as large as it once was, I still love books for the knowledge and information I gain from them. I love them for the journeys and adventures they have taken me on. As …
Happy Birthday To Me!
My beautiful dear friend Rebecca sent me these words from Samuel Ullman in celebration of my seventy two years of living. YOUTH Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, …
A Writer’s Diary – Isolation – Day 33 – Happy Birthday
I made it! I completed my seventieth second voyage around the sun. Although there were occasions this last year where I was not sure I would make it? I am here today to commemorate my seventy two years of life and to jump start my seventy third. This of course is all happening from my …
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A Writer’s Diary – A Handful Of Dust
I remember every one I loss to death because I love each of them as an influential part of this life I still live. As far as I know from my limited experiences very few want to die unless they see death as a physical release from the pain they are experiencing in life. So …
The Philosopher – 2 The Dream Path
The Philosopher placed the tome on his desk and studied the intricate pattern of the raised labyrinth on the cover. Once again he thought his eyes were deceiving him because the pattern of the labyrinth seemed to change when ever he peered too closely. He decided it might be best for him to get some …
A Writer’s Diary – Exponential Growth – CoVid-19 And Climate Change
Many of us do not understand the concept of exponential growth with regards to how quickly things grow and change. The explanation below, in layman terms, is the best I found so far from Jane E Brody, Personal Health columnist for The New York Times. Dr. Slovic, author of “The Perception of Risk,” explained exponential …
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Beliefs: Part I
Beliefs: Part I In the battle of beliefs. Who wins? Might? Wisdom? Gods? Beliefs are always right of course, at least to those who hold a particular belief. Why would anyone believe something they do not believe is true? We are conditioned to believe what we believe. The course of this planet's existence following the …
A Writer’s Diary – Isolation – Day 28 – Beliefs
I have written about beliefs before (Beliefs Part I and Part II). I am writing about them again this week because one of my isolation mates is a fundamentalist christian. Basically fundamentalism is a movement or attitude stressing strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles emphasizing a literal interpretation of the Bible …
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Beliefs: Part II
Beliefs: Part II Every act is a statement of your beliefs. What you believe is so ingrained with the consciousness and with the body that you and its reflection are one. A man cannot be separated from his beliefs any more than he can be separated from his soul. A change of belief can occur …
A Writer’s Diary – It’s Not The End Of The World You Know
While growing up in Trenton, New Jersey whenever my brother or I would face a defeat in life and feel life was no longer worth living our mom would always say, “It’s not the end of the world, you know.” As an adult facing so many of life’s never ending traumas, I kept her words …
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A Writer’s Diary – Being Old Is A Gift, Sometimes
Each day I search the numbers. The newly infected, the newly dead, the total infected, the total dead. The numbers keep rising. I search the countries and states where my friends and families live, Estonia, Cuba, Wales, Spain, Fuji, Australia, New York, New Jersey, California. People I usually only contacted once or twice a year, …
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The Philosopher – 1 The Search For Truth
There lived some time ago in the village of South Port on the Isle of Havnor in the land of EarthSea a philosopher. The cerebral castle of his thoughts filled much of his life but existed only in the air. His kingdom lived in his heart. He was a good, generous, fair and just man. …
The Gate Keeper Of Inspiration: Book II Chapter Fourteen — Olga Jacoby
It is late afternoon as I wonder through the Great Hall and into one of our many gardens on the property where I sit down on the small bench under the large oak tree to ponder my talk for this evening. My guests have asked me to speak to the topic of why we fear …
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