From therapy to becoming a writer — I told my wife to make my obituary short and sweet. A haiku would suffice: A crow of mischief Born out of brotherly love Retires to the sea No one knows me completely, not even my mother, rest her soul. I’m too cryptic for words. …

Where I drifted and almost disappeared — My life was a piece of driftwood, curled and gnarly, drifting around Philadelphia, where Washington crossed the Delaware. Philadelphia was a scrapbook of my childhood memories in a plastic binder of loose and torn pages with its pictures falling out. It’s where Ben Franklin was buried, Betsy Ross sewed the flag, a…

A morning epiphany — One morning, I woke up and realized struggling to be a great writer is useless. Of course, I denied it, but then I thought — Should I believe this epiphany and not even try? And would it be best if I resigned myself to swim in the sea of mediocrity? …

It is the fountain of healing — “Solitude is for me a fount of healing which makes my life worth living. Talking is often a torment for me, and I need many days of silence to recover from the futility of words.” — Carl Jung When I was a kid, I thought it was awful to be…

Humility, hope, and inner peace — I understood at a very early age that, in nature, I felt everything I should feel in church but never did. Walking in the woods, I felt in touch with the universe and the spirit of the universe. Alice Walker If I stay humble, keep my ego in check, not puff out…

Cute and suspicious — Sometimes I like a window with the sun, other times the shade. It all depends on what interests me, who’s out there, and the noises I hear. Right now, a bird is fluttering in the tree that I’d like to sink my teeth into.

Hardship mixed with love — I’ve been close to women with hearts broken; they are my kindred spirits, who cling to hope in the face of loss. In their vulnerability and rage, they hide behind a generosity of smiles. Their trauma is silent, deep and lasting, like an uprooted flower stuck in the sand, fear that rises…

And, of course, I tried. — I dated a kinky girl a while back. Her name was Bonnie Bumweiler. She was attractive and had a nice body, but she didn’t enjoy coitus. So instead, she wanted me to give her a wedgie, not just any wedgie but an Atomic Wedgie. For those who don’t know, an…

The stuff relationships are made of — “Marry me so I can teach you to live and teach me to die.” —Charlie Chaplin to Oona O’Neill. Relationships aren’t all about romance. …