“I learned long, ago never to wrestle a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.” ~ George Bernard Shaw Pigs get a lot of notoriety. The Chinese Zodiac cycles every 12 years, and the Pig comes in last. Happy Chinese New Year 2019 ~ Year of the Pig! Is this your year? …Read More
Category: Journal
FGCU Slam Storytelling, More to Come
“It has been said that next to hunger and thirst, our most basic human need is for storytelling.” ~ Khalil Gibran On Wednesday, September 26, 2018, more than 50 people gathered to share stories of “How I Got Here” at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Fort Myers, Florida. The Wasmer Art Gallery in the …Read More
Ancestral Medicine, Heal the Past
“I am bound to them, though I cannot look into their eyes or hear their voices. I honor their history. I cherish their lives. I will tell their story. I will remember them.”~ Author Unknown We carry the roots of who we are in the lineage of our family tree. We are blessed by the …Read More
Too good to be true
An unexpected email arrived in my inbox. “I would like you to perform at Oxford Storytelling Festival…” Wow! How did they find out about me? I’m a famous storyteller. I’ve been doing this for a while. Working hard on stories. This is so cool! Maybe they saw me perform at one of the festival new …Read More
Permission to Leave
“Doc, he’s gone.” Working as a hospitalist, I had a list of patients to see for the week. This was my first day back at the hospital, and so all the patients were new. Joe was on hospice care. The hospice facility was full. From the medical record, I could see that he was comatose. …Read More
“The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? —Mary Oliver, excerpt from poem “The Summer Day” June 21, 2018, is the summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere. For us, it is the longest day of the year and the official start of summer. From today onward, the …Read More
Native American Wisdom: “Nature is my teacher.”
“Nature is my teacher.” The Native American teachings rely on observation of Nature—listening to the stories whispered by of the natural world. The outer world reflects our inner world. When I have been in intense times of emotional and spiritual discomfort (depressed, burned out), I look to change everything around me. Start exercising. Change jobs. …Read More
Inoculative Expressions – watch my interview
Larnell Cross interviews slices of life in the art world outside the mainstream in his home town of Miami, Florida. His online talk show highlights diverse music, poetry, storytelling, dance and art. I met him in South Miami when I was performing my 90-minute storytelling show, “Legacy of Love,” at Tea & Poets. We sat …Read More
Munchausen Syndrome
The saddest diseases that I have encountered in my medical career are those of the mind. Lori (not her real name) came into the hospital with persistent fevers. She had multiple admissions. Blood cultures were positive for multiple types of bacteria. Where was this infection coming from? She improved on broad spectrum antibiotics that covered …Read More
The Most Dangerous Animal in Yosemite
Yosemite National Park in California is a spectacular valley of natural wonder and wildlife. First protected in 1864, the nearly 1,200 square miles are covered with waterfalls, deep valleys, ancient sequoias, and vast wilderness. With black bears, coyotes, bobcats, and big horn sheep, the park is full of wildlife. However, according to a ranger when …Read More