Still I Rise ~ by Maya Angelou You may write me down in historyWith your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you?Why are you beset with gloom?’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wellsPumping in my living room. Just like moons and …Read More
Blog
Dancing at Cathedral Rock, Sedona, AZ
“If my friends had not gone back, I’d still be there dancing.” One of the most breathtaking places on the planet for me is Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona. The spires of red rock formation reach up towards the sky. I return over and over with friends new and old. The hike takes us up …Read More
Play as a Cure for Anxiety ~ Charlie Hoehn
“The paradox of play is that it recharges us, refreshes us, rejuvenates us, and allows us to go back an do great work. If we don’t allow ourselves to play, we become joyless. We become serious. We have to take pills just to sit still and focus. Human beings need play. It is not a …Read More
When love calls us to be present ~ Djuna Barnes
Serenade ~ by Djuna Barnes – 1892-1982 Three paces down the shore, low sounds the lute, The better that my longing you may know; I’m not asking you to come, But—can’t you go? Three words, “I love you,” and the whole is said— The greatness of it throbs from sun to sun; I’m not asking …Read More
The Hanging of Tom Brown: An Odyssey into the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement
Rarely do we get the experience to listen to a first-person account of history. Even more rare, that history is crafted by a professional storyteller into a powerful performance. Jim Gregory, Storyteller and Performing Artist, presents his powerful first-person account of a young white man’s activism in the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. Storytelling Performance at …Read More
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (Broken Heart Syndrome) ~ Mind-Body Connection
If you have ever had any doubt about the mind-body connection or the effect of emotional stress on your system, scientists have “discovered” the Broken Heart Syndrome. Named from the Japanese “tako tsubo” (octopus trap), the syndrome causes weakness and bulging at the apex of the heart making it look like an octopus trap and causing …Read More
What We Build ~ Sarah Kay
There once was a young girl who happened upon a construction site. She approaches a man working and says curiously, “Excuse me. What are you doing?” “Can’t you see?” he says impatiently, “I’m laying bricks.” As she walks along, she sees another man doing the same thing. She approaches and says, “Excuse me. What are …Read More
Black-Eyed Peas, Tradition, and Luck
Recalling his mother’s New Year’s Day black-eyed peas recipe, Michael W. Twitty traces this legume back to the Middle Passage and its roots in Africa, recognizing it as a seed of Black resilience. When my mother was still here in body, she made a small pot of black-eyed peas every New Year’s Day. The pot …Read More
Burnout Recovery
In 2007, I was burnt out–physically exhausted, emotionally drained, and cynical about the future. The daily grind of the hospital had left me with tattered ends. Everyday seemed to be the same. There was little sense of purpose. I decided to make some changes. Vacation helped, but then I returned to the same daily grind. …Read More
Florida Storytelling Festival 2020
“You are like family,” I said to Morgen Reynolds last year at the Florida Storytelling Festival in Mt Dora, Florida. “I see you once a year for a reunion.” That sounds a little odd at first, but I was expressing the comfort of seeing someone you know after such a long time. We have listened …Read More