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Poetry appreciation evening
“A good poem is a contribution to reality. The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it. A good poem helps to change the shape of the universe, helps to extend everyone’s knowledge of himself and the world around him.” ~ Dylan Thomas POETRY APPRECIATION FOR EVERYONE at the Blair Memorial Library in Clawson November 2, 6:30 – 7:30p.m. So you think you don’t like poetry? I’d love to change your mind. In my next one-night workshop, I’ll read favorite poems by a few contemporary poets that everyone will enjoy, including Billy Collins (former Poet Laureate of the U.S.), Mary Oliver, David Whyte, Jane Kenyon, Pablo…
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Election season
“It doesn’t matter what you say you believe — it only matters what you do.” ~Robert Fulghum As if Halloween weren’t scary enough, election season is in full swing. Our mail-in ballots arrived and lawn signs are sprouting everywhere. Politicians are making promises, right and left, and I’ve been studying the issues to make sure I’m making educated choices. I’ve never trusted folks — not just politicians — who tell me what they think I want to hear. So, right now I’m asking a lot of questions. What issues are most important to my community as a whole — not just to me? How much experience do the candidates have?…
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Homecoming
“But when fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays a while like an old friend you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it, and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since he last saw you.” ~Stephen King, Salem’s Lot Autumn was made for nostalgia. Last weekend, Doug and I hosted a party for several of our closest high school friends. The gathering was a homecoming of sorts,…
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When it’s time to let go
“The art of letting go of your child must come in stages. We grow with them as parents, but our hearts are never truly ready for them to leave the nest.” ~Jennifer L. Betts Reclaiming and repurposing my son’s childhood bedroom happened “in stages” — long after he left home. For a while it remained unchanged, a memorial to the past. I wrote about the process in a reflective essay that touches on the importance of letting go of our earlier parenting roles and embracing the future. The essay appears in the October 2022 issue of Vitality magazine (in The Oakland Press), which will be available in print next Thursday.…
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Asserting yourself
“The practice of assertiveness: being authentic in our dealings with others; treating people with respect in social contexts; refusing to fake the reality of who we are or what we esteem in order to avoid disapproval; the willingness to stand up for ourselves and our ideas in appropriate ways, in appropriate contexts.” ~ Nathaniel Branden In today’s quote, psychologist Nathaniel Branden defines a deceptively simple concept. In theory, we all understand that we have the right ask for (or go after) what we deserve. But in real life, “assertiveness” isn’t so easy. Not many of us are totally comfortable being assertive — even when it means standing up for ourselves…