“We have sad news for everyone.” The administration gathered us together that morning in the auditorium, but we usually met in the small classrooms. Something was wrong; I could hear the hushed murmuring of my fellow classmates. What’s happening? Why are we here? Did you hear? We were all students spending the summer together before …Read More
Category: Journal
Benefits of Play
Becoming an adult often seems to mean leaving play behind. The term “adulting” refers to doing things that are joyless, boring and tiresome — the opposite of play. But we can embrace adulthood while still finding joy through play and being playful. You might not realize it, but when you swing in your chair, slip …Read More
It goes on …
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.” ~ Robert Frost On his 80th birthday in March of 1954, Robert Frost was interviewed by journalist and self-help writer, Ray Josephs. In September 1954, the Sunday newspaper supplement “This Week Magazine” published “Robert Frost’s Secret” by Josephs which included …Read More
Play is more than fun ~ Stuart Brown
Stuart Brown wrote the book on Play… literally. Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown “When we play, we are engaged in the purest expression of our humanity, the truest expression of our individuality… we feel most alive…” ~ Stuart Brown Play is a profound biological …Read More
Changed for Good ~ feat. Wicked
I’ve heard it said,That people come into our lives for a reasonBringing something we must learn. And we are led to thoseWho help us most to grow if we let them.And we help them in return. Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s trueBut I know I’m who I am todayBecause I knew you. …Read More
I’m going back to school for a Masters in English
Yes, you read it right. I’m going back to school for a Masters in English! After spending the first three decades of my life training to be a doctor, I’d had enough of school, but life has twists and turns. It took more than a decade to convince myself to return to school. In January …Read More
Physician-Educator-Storyteller
In the reflective space between the old year and the new, I found three words to describe myself. It was 2018. I did not yet know how these words fit together; I just knew that they were potent. I would become a Physician-Educator-Storyteller. I bandaged the words together to create a new vision. I changed …Read More
How I created my own MFA in Storytelling
A “Master of Fine Arts” degree or MFA is a graduate degree designed to deepen a student’s understanding and skills in a specific artistic field, such as creative writing, visual arts, or performing arts. With this degree, most will pursue a career in the creative arts or teaching. When I decided to become an oral …Read More
Council Lodge ~ Sedona, Arizona
“He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche As I climb out of the valley and reach the top of these red rocks in Sedona, Arizona, a spectacular vista opens up. Behind me is …Read More
You deserve this! ~ Make your bed
I make my bed every morning. Sometimes a simple act can ripple through your day. Sometimes a well-placed word can change your life. I don’t remember the name of the motivational speaker that came to my middle school auditorium decades ago. I don’t even remember the topic of his speech. I only remember his answer …Read More