Tag: Grace
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It Not Free
A few weeks ago, I participated in a plant medicine ceremony. I took six grams of psilocybin, enough to be considered a heroic dose. I’ve written about my experience using hallucinogens in several of my blogs. It is something I’ve engaged in over the past fifty years, not consistently, just as needed. Over the last…
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Us Against Them
I need to preface this blog with a disclaimer. I need to be categorical when I say I am not religious. I have absolutely no religious affiliation. I am, however, a deeply spiritual person. My blog posts share my observations based solely on my life experience, observations and learning. To say we live in a…
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Waiting to Find Out
It’s been almost one year since I underwent a colectomy to remove a cancerous tumor. The surgeon removed 14 inches of my colon and pronounced me “cured.” The initial diagnosis was stage one cancer. That diagnosis saved me from further treatment. No chemo. No radiation. I remind myself daily just how fortunate I am. Since…
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I Couldn’t See Even Sitting in the Front Row
My friend texted me that he needed to talk. In his short text, he shared that our last conversation left him unsettled. I am always left uncomfortable when receiving an ambiguous message. My mind always defaults to, “So what did I do wrong?” I was soon to find out exactly what I did. When we…
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I Got Stuck Behind a Javelina!
A lot of my time in Tucson is viewed from the perspective I get riding my bike. One of the reasons I spend the winter in Tucson is the accessibility of riding. The city of Tucson has made a considerable investment in cycling infrastructure. It has built what is locally referred to as “the loop.”…
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A Case of Mistaken Identity
I am by no means religious. I was raised as a Reformed Jew in a middle-class town in New Jersey. My partner and I were invited to a Friday night Shabbat dinner at a friend’s house visiting Tucson. Shabbat is the Jewish Sabbath. It was an invitation for connection and community. We are not religious…
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Why Are They Always Asking For Something?
Tucson, like most cities in this country, has its share of homeless people. The police are efficient at containing them to certain parts of the city. Many areas in Tucson create a naturally inviting space for a homeless person to find a relative degree of comfort. Those areas are situated in all the dry washes…
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It’s All Gobbledygook Anyway
One of my good friends recently emailed a link to a documentary he found compelling. He shared that the content deeply resonated with him. Like most people we connect to, my friend and I have a common outlook and shared values. We engage our lives in a similar manner. That is enough for me to want…
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Tacos and Nazis
Getting from tacos to Nazis was easier than I thought. I didn’t have to look too hard for that connection. It found me. Tucson has over 1200 restaurants. Half of them serve tacos, many of which are food trucks scattered around the city. Having spent several winters in Tucson, my partner and I had ample…
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There’s Something On The Bottom Of My Shoe
I’m in the process of getting ready to leave for Tucson. My girlfriend and I are spending the winter there. It is a 2000-mile journey, which takes us four days of driving. I get to leave the cold, damp, and snow-bound winter of Southeast Michigan for the warm, sun-filled winter of the Sonoran Desert. Our…
Lean into your life 