A Blog Ringing in the Empty Sky

The author of this blog likes to think of himself as a Practical Mystic, who plods along like in the Sufi fable from The Conference of the Birds -

Do not imagine that the journey is short; and one must have the heart of a lion to follow this unusual road, for it is very long....One plods along in a state of amazement, somtimes smiling, sometimes weeping.

He really knows only a few things for certain, the rest is a floundering in the unknown. He has lived on the Edge for so long it seems almost Normal to him. (Definition of Normal: a setting on a clothes dryer).

Some people seem to like him, his wife, cat, and dog Kuan Yin, aka Pookie most certainly do.

He has lived in New York, Indiana, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, but his heart is irretrievably lost in Ireland. He dreams of having a small retreat center there.

In between smiling and weeping, he has worked (in chronological order) as a stock-clerk (first job), a Western Union bicycle messenger (ok, rode 30 miles a day, little or no tips), sold candy at the candy-counter of a semi-porno movie theater near Times Square (weird), has been a furniture stripper and refinisher (brutal), waiter (fun), house painter (got boring after a few years), stained glass window maker and gallery partner ( a magic time for sure), art gallery manager (great till owner went bust and paychecks bounced), account manager for a rent-a-center (dunner - Hell!), licensed hearing examiner ( Beltone- a story in itself), graphic designer (high pressure but rewarding), exam scorer (brief, numbing), intermittent seminar leader (wonderful), therapist (challenging and rewarding), and life coach and personal mentor (super). He looks forward to the next series of adventures.

He loves Cappuccinos and good strong Black Tea (The body needs caffeine) served the English way, with cream. He has found that these always taste better after a brisk walk through the cool and drizzly countryside of Ireland or Wales.

He also greatly enjoys riding his motorcycle, a 99 Yamaha Royal Star Venture (V-4) named SilverStar, and has many wondrous motorcycle adventures as his alter-ego Joey-the-Kid.

He would love to have no regrets when he passes on to the next world.