The crow was an asshole. Sitting stubbornly on the wire while a dozen smaller birds buzzed in on him in shifts, launching their missions from nearby tree branches. Give the crow credit though, he didn’t flinch. Continue reading Asshole Crow
I’ve been writing about happiness recently. This is the third (and final) installment in a series of pieces on this subject. The first installment can be found here and second one, here. While prepping myself to write this, I began to think of analogies. Can happiness be cultivated in the same way a farmer prepares for a good harvest? Think about it; a bumper crop doesn’t just happen … Continue reading Repost: Can Happiness Be Cultivated?
Dear, Readers, I’m speaking for all Wise & Shine writers when I say that we so appreciate your continued support of this blog. To show how thankful we are, we want to ask you to share a link to your blog or site in the “thoughts” or comments section at the bottom of this page. Please feel free to include a statement about what inspires … Continue reading Sharing is Caring
Most of us are familiar with the old saying, “When it rains, it pours.” I’ve been thinking a lot about that adage recently because there’s been quite a lot of pouring rain in my life over the past few months. A few weeks ago, I wrote about needing to take a leave of absence from writing for this blog after being diagnosed with a degenerative … Continue reading It’s Been Pouring
Hiking means enjoying a revitalizing moment. People increasingly appreciate the benefits of slowness and simplicity. Walking is a wonderful way to discover the natural environment too. Here are 5 reasons why you should start hiking: 1. It is an extremely healthy activity. Hiking can improve your general physical health and under many aspects is comparable to other sports. Sleep improves, the risk of cardiovascular diseases … Continue reading 5 Reasons Why Hiking Is Good for the Body, Soul and Spirit
The laundry is folded (or doing a passable imitation of folded), the dogs are silent and sleeping, and the house is freshly vacuumed, and even though, an hour later, its efforts have already become hard to spot as a fresh battalion of fur easily reclaims its beachheads, the house is still neat and clean (or doing a passable imitation of neat and clean). Monday looms … Continue reading Sunday Evening, Long Island, February 2023
I’m currently reading The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart, with “Willie” being the great Willie Nelson, musician and songwriter extraordinaire. As you might guess from the title, the book, coauthored by Nelson and Turk Pipkin, elucidates the singer’s philosophy of life, which was strongly influenced by Buddhist and Taoist tenets, and includes lots of autobiographical details. In one of … Continue reading Question of the Day (Inspired by the Red-headed Stranger)
In October of last year, Wise & Shine started a podcast. In the weeks ahead, we’ll be recording new episodes for your listening pleasure. Tuesday will be the day we publish new podcasts to the site. If you haven’t already done so, please have a listen to our recordings from 2022. We are interested in hearing from readers and experts who’d like to be a part … Continue reading Wise & Shine Podcasts in 2023
This week between Christmas and New Year’s is one of my favorites. My family and most of my friends are off work, we can do lots of visiting, get caught up on fun things we didn’t get to do during the year, and spend some time reflecting on the past year and the future. It’s fitting that this week happens in winter, because of all … Continue reading Winter Needs A New Publicist
On Wise & Shine’s newest podcast, I have an entertaining conversation with David (known as “AP2” on this site) about flying airplanes, writing, art, fatherhood, regrets, and other topics. After listening to our talk, check out David’s writing, including “Why I Write,” a piece that got 514 likes when it was first published. Continue reading New Podcast: Soaring Over the Clouds with David!
It’s that time of year again when my mind goes back to December of 2003, exactly nineteen years ago now, when I had one of the most profound experiences of my life. A bit earlier in that year, in May of 2003 to be exact, my maternal grandfather, a real-life cowboy and a man I called “Pawpaw,” fell seriously ill. He was eighty-six years old … Continue reading I Said Goodbye to a Great Man
The tutors who work at the Palo Alto College Writing Assistance Center are mostly in their late twenties and early thirties which means they’re young and energetic. Because they haven’t clocked many years on this planet, they’re not yet tired or jaded. This is likely the reason they’re so incredibly gung-ho about everything. So, when the college announced that it was time for everyone to … Continue reading Max Dodo
I want to tell you about a fellow named David, a retired educator and part-time tutor of mathematics who works in the Math Learning Center, a place just down the hall from the Writing Assistance Center, the place I manage and often mention in blogs I write for Wise & Shine. David is one of the most relentlessly positive people a person is ever likely … Continue reading David’s “Walking Lunches”
Almost three years later and I still hate admitting it. Here is my story and my effort to be better. Continue reading I Killed A Fox
Why I recommend getting caught in the rain as a wellness practice. Continue reading Pina Coladas? Nah. Getting Caught In The Rain? Yes!
Our beloved dog, Mia, was near death. She knew it, and used her final moments to say goodbye to those she loved. Continue reading Mia, Shirley & Goodbye: Losing A Pet
Last Friday, June 24, St. John the Baptist, in Northern Europe they celebrated the Mid Summer Night. When I was living in Estonia, I found out that it is a strong tradition also there and once I went with some friends to see what happened during that long weekend, as it is a public holiday! Let me tell you a bit more about this tradition … Continue reading Mid Summer Night
The only reason I stopped at that particular gas station was because they had a giant, brightly painted wood sculpture of a squirrel (or maybe it was a groundhog) all dressed up in backpacking gear, out front. You could see it from the highway. My usual instinct when I need gas is to keep driving and fill up later, playing chicken with an empty gas … Continue reading Remembering The Bison & Confronting Our Hateful Past
