Today is the first Sunday of Lent. The season of Lent began last week with Ash Wednesday and continues for the next 6 weeks. One of many words I have heard to describe this season is “Self-reflection.” I take this to mean this is a time to look at ourselves, not in a self-serving or […]
“Me too” campaign a sobering reminder
The “#Me too” movement has been sobering for me as I watched many of my female friends, former colleagues, and family members use social media to speak out about their own experiences of sexual harassment, assault, or rape. Those two simple words, “Me too,” have revealed how pervasive the problem is in every institution and […]
Cottage finale
Today concludes my visit to the cottage in Kittery, Maine, and it brings an end to 22 annual visit by the Powell brothers. We decided via email earlier this year that it was our last visit to the cottage that was part of our childhood and now a significant part of our adult lives. The […]
The road
This is the road to the cottage. A small numbered sign on Old Denntt Road, visible only to those looking for it, is all that gives it away. You have to be looking for the tire ruts that simply appear between two trees, and then, by faith, you drive into the woods. This was the […]
What would we do without distractions?
Oh the ways I find to distract myself. Here I am at the cottage in Maine with no electricity and, consequently, fewer distractions. It was dark by 7:30 last night. At 8:00 I turned off my laptop to conserve power for the morning. Then what? No TV to watch episodes of something I don’t really […]
Fiftieth High School Reunion. What!?
I recently attended the 50th anniversary reunion for the Olney High School class of 1967. I went with great apprehension. Some of it was the normal apprehension of being with people you haven’t seen for decades, wondering if you will have anything in common other than some ancient history. But then I had my own […]
When in Maine…
Many of you have heard me talk about the cottage in Maine where I spend a long weekend with my brothers each fall. Well, for the past three years I have been going to the cottage ahead of the scheduled time to spend a few restful days on my own. I am there now and […]
And when it gets dark…
Report from the cottage in Maine: Until three years ago, I resisted spending time at the cottage alone for one reason. When the sun goes down, it’s dark. And it’s remote. And being in a place like this kicks in all my old childhood fears of the dark. I have kerosene lanterns and battery-operated flashlights […]
Out of the chaos, some clarity
Out of the chaos will come clarity. At least that is my hope. Amidst the incendiary rhetoric, ongoing investigations, incessant legal and ethical crises, accusations, lying, and blaming for all that’s not working, the chaos of Donald Trump’s administration may provide some important clarification for us as a nation. The Donald will not be the […]
Living expansively and within boundaries
Many years ago I was driving an old bus with a friend. He had gutted a 40 year-old highway bus, wired it with sophisticated recording equipment, and turned it into a mobile recording studio. I was a roadie for him and was driving on our way to a recording job. This was one of those […]