Archive for February, 2010

I can’t believe I ate the whoooole thing

What disturbs me most about nationalized health care is that it is politicized. That means that the pols are going to give us the impression that they are doing us all a favor, and that is the farthest from the truth as a thing can be. After lunch today, I got back into my car to [ READ MORE ]

longer than the War of the Austrian Succession

February – if ever anyone got it right it was Charley McDowell, legendary columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch back in The Day. Charley wrote a humorous, sardonic column each year in honor of the month and always included this little ditty on how tedious it could be: “30 days hath September, April, June and November; [ READ MORE ]

is recovery chilled by political correctness?

Do we foster a community of recovery – one in which recovery is encouraged? Are there public voices – champions of recovery – as in the past? Or is the “recovery movement” that peaked in the 80s passé? What do you think? * My take is that the political correctness movement has had a chilling [ READ MORE ]

why write?

Thinking back on many of those journal entries I made in early recovery, I recalled something Ernest Hemingway once wrote: “If he wrote it he could get rid of it. He had gotten rid of many things by writing them.” I can relate. During that period I was strenuously dealing with things, and it just [ READ MORE ]

it’s your story

Don’t let anyone tell you where your heart is. It’s in your story, and you alone know it. In my writing circles, I meet people  who want to write a memoir. They’ve been told this and that, and sometimes it seems to be a drag on their productivity and  creativity. Recently I came across this, [ READ MORE ]

Super Bowl quotes

“..Successful military adventures are as effective as the Super Bowl in diverting people’s attention from unpleasant truths.” –J. Stockwell “The Super Bowl is Americana at its most kitsch and fun.” –Sting “There is no future. This is the season. Get to the Super Bowl.” –Troy Vincent  ”If it’s the ultimate game , how come they’re playing [ READ MORE ]

the nexus

What is at the nexus of recovery and addiction? In building my memoir – my “Ebenezers” – I’ve answered that. And now as I re-read and re-write that chapter, I know I need to drill down a bit into the nexus. In my post of Feb. 3, I talked about my 35th anniversary of “putting [ READ MORE ]

redemption, part 2

The Help, the runaway bestseller by Kathryn Stockett, inspired another thought. See my previous post of 1/31 for a review of the book. My thought tonight is of the books’s theme of redemption. It is gradually revealed — like the peeling of an onion — as the story unfolds, little bits at a time. I’m [ READ MORE ]

one of God’s classics

Today is a special day for me – a real Ebenezer, in fact. It’s my anniversary, but I doubt it’s the kind you think it is. It’s the 35th anniversary of the day I put the plug in the jug – the first step toward building the stories that will unfold here as I write [ READ MORE ]

doo-dah day

Doo-dah day is finally almost over. A long time ago there was a judge in Hanover County, Virginia who called the Monday after the legendary Camptown Races “Doo-Dah day.” He called it that because of the procession of drunk-in-public cases he would have to endure that Monday. I call it that just because it’s Monday [ READ MORE ]

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