This page contains longer, titled posts that I have made to my blog, so as to more easily separate them from other posts that I make here. If you would like to subscribe to the feed for this page, point your RSS reader here.
Friday, March 11, 2022
Mindfulness is available to us at all times. I say that to myself - and then I forget. The opportunity is there, and then it is gone. Too late. Feels like too much effort. Or something puts in an appearance that has more icing on the top, or at least appears to and feels easier to consume - but ultimately leaves me with a sense of no satisfaction. The ship has sailed.
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s message for Tibetan New Year (Losar) - Water Tiger, 2149.
Monday, February 28, 2022
My first letter to accompany my first Micro.blog newsletter. Welcome to my first newsletter hosted on Micro.blog. This newsletter contains the long form writings that I made through the month of February 2022. There were ’x’ such posts. Unsure at the moment how to fold the posts so that this email is not so long, I thought that this index of the posts might make it a little easier to navigate the newsletter.
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Minimal spoilers here. Less than you would get in a theatrical preview. We watched the movie Belfast a few weeks or so ago. My appreciation of the movie has increased since then. I thought that it was beautifully filmed in black and white with a wonderful performance from all the cast. A special shout out though goes to the young Jude Hill who carried most of the film on his young shoulders.
Sunday, February 13, 2022
Sitting on the beach this afternoon an incident popped into my mind from over three decades ago. Why I thought of this I don’t know, but here is what happened. I was in Australia. I spent a year traveling around the country, mainly hitchhiking. I was somewhere south of Sidney, heading south. It was a baking hot day and I had just had my hair cut. Why is that relevant you might ask?
Monday, February 7, 2022
The south east side of Maui is a place of the elements. Wind, sun and ocean meet in strong presence at that place where the vast flanks of Haleakala descend from its 10,000 feet summit to meet the Pacific Ocean at the ʻAlenuihāhā Channel, meaning aptly “great billows smashing.” A 30 mile channel of ocean lying between the Islands of Hawai’i and Maui, wind and water are funneled between the two land masses.
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
Just in time for the start of “Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i” (Month of the Hawaiian Language), University of Hawaiʻi Maui College Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Keola Donaghy has released a Hawaiian language version of the popular “Wordle” online game. ~ Maui Now The game is called _ Hulihua_ and can be found at https://hulihua.net/. The game play is the same as for the original Wordle game, with a new word each day.
Monday, January 31, 2022
Through May 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, I offered a daily Meditation Nudge. This was a new article that I wrote each day through that month, with each one exploring an aspect of meditation. I have felt remiss to not have put together a comprehensive list of all of those posts, something that I believe would be a helpful resource. So now I am making good on this aspiration, and below is a list of all the Meditation Nudges that I offered during May 2020.
Friday, January 28, 2022
Gratitude is an important practice. While I might like to think of myself as independent and able to manage my life on my own, truth is little, indeed nothing in life can ultimately be done alone. From the time that I get out of bed in the morning, until I go to sleep, I live my life in dependence upon others - both seen and unseen. These can be other humans, those keeping my water running or lights on, to non-humans, the sun in the sky or the worms tilling the soil.
Friday, January 21, 2022
Buddhist monk, teacher and peace activist Thich Naht Hanh died tonight at his root temple, Tu Hien Temple, in Hue, Vietnam. He was 95. His community in Plum Village, France said, Our beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh has passed away peacefully. We invite our global spiritual family to take a few moments to be still, to come back to our mindful breathing, as we together hold Thay in our hearts in peace and loving gratitude for all he has offered the world.
Monday, January 3, 2022
Between the ages of 8 and 10, so from about 1971 to 1973, my family lived in Jamaica. My father was a radiologist and worked for two years at the University Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. As a child, I remember the time fondly. My sister and I went to a wonderful school there and made good friends both at our school and with kids who lived in our neighbourhood. I remember being allowed to stay up late when my parents had parties, standing at the gate of our house (for some reason), listening to music watching everyone chatting inside.
Friday, December 24, 2021
My annual watching of A Charlie Brown Christmas is complete. I feel that whether one believes in the Christian message of Christmas, this short cartoon offers a reflective look at what Christmas has been turned into with all the accompanying consumerism. Charlie Brown: Isn’t there anyone, who knows what Christmas is all about?! Linus: Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. [Linus walks to center stage.
Thursday, October 7, 2021
On the western edge of the world, as defined by the International Date Line, it’s Sunday afternoon. I’m sitting at 39,993ft above the Pacific Ocean, according to the screen in front of me, just under two hours out from Honolulu. From there I’ll have one more leg to fly before two days of travel will see be back home in Maui. Though right now I am feeling conflicted by that word ’home’.
Friday, September 10, 2021
Yesterday it was pouring with rain outside, really pouring. The proximity of my parents’ top floor flat to the roof amplified the sound of the falling water. For the most part the rest of the day was overcast, it was humid. Today is the same, perhaps a little clearer. Following my father’s passing away on Tuesday, this weather has been a real comfort to me. I don’t want to venture far from my parents’ home at the moment, feeling safe and comfortable here, while feeling raw and vulnerable in my emotions.
Friday, September 3, 2021
I’m walking to the shops, walking down back streets, residential streets instead of the main road. I find more joy and interest in looking at the houses and front yards instead the busy main street. Houses that I use to pass most every day as a kid. I haven’t been back to Bristol to visit my parents for two years. COVID has been the culprit there. I wasn’t planning on visiting until next year when hopefully COVID might have been a little quieter.
Saturday, August 14, 2021
Self-induced peer pressure? I don’t know, but I have just signed up for an invite to the new photograph app Glass after reading about it in multiple places on the Micro.blog timeline, and after John Gruber sung its praises. I wasn’t looking for a photos app, and don’t particularly want another subscription right now. I certainly don’t want an app that is going to encourage another distraction habit in me, especially as I feel that I am just beginning to get them under control!
Friday, August 13, 2021
Rain during the night, sun during the day. That’s a good combination, ensuring that the ground gets watered and we have a warm, bright day. And then there are times when I just enjoy it being overcast for a day. There is plenty of sun here in Hawai’i, for which I am grateful, but I also enjoy hunkering down on a wet day.
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
On both days of Micro Camp, before the presentations start, I will be leading a short meditation to help you quieten your mind and prepare for the day ahead. Just show up 15 minutes before the program for the days start. No experience is necessary to join the meditation. I have kept the instruction to a minimum in order to maximize the time that we have for meditation, so if you do come away with any questions, please contact me.
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
My five year old grandson was listening to family members instruct Siri to play this song or that song on our HomePod Mini. So in his five year old English he piped up with, “Hey Siri, play the Poop Song.” Siri understood him and while I expected her to say that she couldn’t find such a song, it turns out that there is a Poop Song on Apple Music, and so she obliged with playing it!
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Sitting alone at night, silence, small light on in the corner, stillness, dark outside, alone with a book, my thoughts, writing. Walking across the crater floor of Haleakala. Bare, cinder cones, dried lava. The birth place of Maui. Sitting chanting Puja in the Shrine Room of Lam Rim Buddhist Centre. Pre-dawn, faint light in the sky, bird song slowly starting, a day awakening. Sitting around a fire, dinner finished, feeding wood to the glowing embers, wood smoke infusing our clothes.
Sunday, August 1, 2021
The trade winds having being blowing very strong over the last couple of days, and an evening stroll along Baldwin Beach was a real challenge yesterday evening. Sand blasted there and back. Winded on the way back. This guy seemed unperturbed by the weather, dozing soundly on the shoreline. 📍 Baldwin Beach Park, Paia
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
I watched Disney’s The Jungle Book with my grandsons last night. It is a real favourite of mine. I don’t know how many times I have seen the movie, going back to when I was a kid? I also used to own a 33⅓ record of the soundtrack that came packed in a colourful booklet. The record came out around the time of the film, 1967, and I remember its weight - heavy.
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
I spent a few hours this morning, under baking hot sun, putting this tent up for my grandson. Now it’s up, the tent’s construction looks quite simple. However, it was heavy and had very poor instructions. I ended up resorting to YouTube for a clearer understanding of the what and how it went together. I have now handed over to grandma to furnish the inside.
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
When I read this this essay by Nancy Kline of Time to Think I thought, ”YES!” I’ll go further - I felt, “YES!” Kline speaks, not mincing her words, of how interruption is an assault. In the first paragraph of the essay she says as much, Interruption is assault. She goes on to say, There is violence in it. Interruption is a slice made into the guts of an as yet unfinished idea.
Monday, June 21, 2021
I was recently interview by Jas Hothi, @jasraj on Micro.blog, for Episode 61 of the INFClub podcast. We had a great conversation, along with plenty of laughter, covering topics such as travel, buddhism, writing, men and high sensitivity. Thank you to Jas for inviting me to join him on the podcast. The show notes and links to the podcast, audio and video, can be found here.
Sunday, April 25, 2021
I like this short definition of ’pilgrimage’ taken from The British Pilgrimage Trust website, Pilgrimage (n.): A journey with purpose on foot to holy/wholesome/special places. Of pilgrimage, the site goes on to say, To turn a walk into a pilgrimage, at the beginning set your private ‘intention’ – dedicate your journey to something that you want help with, or for which you want to give thanks.
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
There’s pattern which repeats itself pretty much each time I find myself home alone for a few days - which with the presence of the COVID pandemic is not that often right now. It goes something like this, I drop my wife off at the airport - living on an island, that is usually the start of the home alone period. On the way home I run a few errands, pick up groceries, and perhaps go for a walk.
Monday, March 29, 2021
The different islands Hawai’ian islands all have their own vibe. Lana’i was relaxed, quiet, and restful. I was going to say pristine as well, except it used to be covered in pineapple fields. It is now 98% owned by Larry Ellison who has put a lot of money into Lana’i. This includes upgrading facilities for the 3,000 residents who live there, and working on establishing sustainable agricultural on island in the next five years.
Thursday, March 25, 2021
The Georgia law is eye-popping, but it is only one of more than 250 measures in 43 states designed to keep Republicans in power no matter what voters want. I keep reading this paragraph from today’s Letter from an American by Heather Cox Richardson, and just wonder how a people can consciously and with purpose choose to block their fellow citizens from voting?
Thursday, February 18, 2021
I find myself sitting in my car on our driveway. It is overcast and there is steady stream of rain falling. The weather looks set in for the day, and likely tomorrow as well. I feel at ease, comfortable, safe. This weather takes me back to weather in Britain that I grew up with. At times it might be weather that the British poke fun at, or complain about. Or it might be weather that visitors tease the country for.