By Ashok Shenolikar “What’s your name?” I asked the taxi driver after my wife Bharati and I settled in the backseat. “Erjan,” he said. “You want to visit the Hagia Sophia?” he asked. When we agreed he said there would be a two-hour minimum charge. We thought that was reasonable. And we didn’t have any … Continue reading Ercan
Not Unlike a Tūī
By Marie-Eve Bernier We made the decision on a windy day. Walking around our local park to discuss this, as we always did with important matters. After many failed opportunities to move to New Zealand, the fourth time was a go. This time it was calling loudly and there were no more excuses. Exchanging my … Continue reading Not Unlike a Tūī
Barcelona Red
By Maryanne DeLeo It’s been in my life eight years, its color long ago used up, hints of it along the walls of its gold, shiny black expensive case. Every day I dip my slender lip brush inside to get a speck of color onto my unpainted lips. Selected by a painter, “which lipstick would … Continue reading Barcelona Red
Sun Tzu and Entertainment: The Land Before Time’s “Easy Route”
By Andrew Nickerson Many classics have achieved long-lasting fame/influence, but it’s hard to find any such document with the track record of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, a masterpiece that’s been the text on tactics/strategy for 2,000+ years. In its pages can be found the blueprints for victory, the lone goal of any war, … Continue reading Sun Tzu and Entertainment: The Land Before Time’s “Easy Route”
The Blue-Schist Sentinels
By Celeste Wolfe Night after night, a quartet of prehistoric megaliths stand as blue-schist sentinels, on guard since the ancient era of dinosaurs into the digital era of modernity. The foursome’s enduring foundations with their unyielding weight, cutting deep into the earth, arise as if shrapnel protruding from a wound. Their stone polished faces like … Continue reading The Blue-Schist Sentinels
Rose Garden Refuge
By Sarah Brennan I remained on the bench until it was no longer cold, long after my breathing regained its normal rhythms, and my tears had stopped flowing. Around me the garden was calm and quiet, but my mind still raced. I kept replaying the three days in March when my world changed. The teachers … Continue reading Rose Garden Refuge
If You Leave, Where Will You Go?
By Lisa Hoelzer I recently left the strict high-demand religion I belonged to for the past thirty years. The values and practices associated with my faith shaped every part of my life: family priorities, Sunday behaviors, clothing, friendships, political attitudes, and more. A few years ago, I began to be disillusioned not only with my … Continue reading If You Leave, Where Will You Go?
Stilling the Ripples
By Earl Smith One of the core ideas of Buddhism centers on the first steps on the path to self-knowledge. Here are some thoughts that might help you start on that journey. We’ll go together. *** Let your imagination transport you to a small pond somewhere within a leafy wood. Let’s say the time is … Continue reading Stilling the Ripples
The Silence of the Wild Dogs
By Dr. Elizabeth V. Koshy We had just settled on the playground of the Amravati University in a huge circle for lunch that day, when we noticed a few dogs, standing a few feet away from us, all looking towards us. A fawn coloured dog stood a little distance away from the other dogs and … Continue reading The Silence of the Wild Dogs
Blessings Come in Many Forms
By Leslee W. Kahler My husband and I had been married for about two years when Nekko came into our lives. I was visiting friends when on the way back to my car I spotted a small black and gray cat stuck in a tree. I climbed the tree part way and managed to coax … Continue reading Blessings Come in Many Forms
