Before My Last Breath

As with most Americans (and more likely most of humanity) I’ve been watching the financial turmoil over the past few weeks pretty closely. I don’t claim to understand its intricacies or even the best course to chart to find a way out of it. Was it a bad thing the market plunged 777 points today because the House of Representatives failed to pass the bail out proposal? Was it scary? Are the implications and repercussions yet to be fully experienced? I don’t really know. As I mentioned I’m no expert on the economy. But I do know a thing or two about CRISIS. And isn’t that what we’re supposedly in right now? That’s the word being used over and over again to describe how people are feeling. In crisis. When I review my half century on this planet I see many similarities in my own experience to the economic shakedown happening now. So many times in the past I made choices that were not necessarily the best choice long term and suffered greatly when it came time to face that choice. I am talk...

My apologies in advance to anyone who is offended by this title. But I’m sure you’ll get over it and here’s why. I watched a movie last night by this name. Pretty predictable, sometimes funny story of redemption set in London. The main character is not really fat per se (just a decent paunch), he’s just a slacker who has put his demons out of sight which essentially keeps him from being happy and living the life he wants. I saw a great deal of my former self in this character and maybe a little residue still there in my current self. Y’all know by now I love stories of redemption and transformation. To me that’s why we’re “here”. Not to live like a rock, static and unchanging (sorry to you rocks out there), but living engaged, flowing and inquisitive and unafraid to shift a point of view or belief (sometimes seemingly as solid as stone). Without giving away the plot for those of you about to put it at the top of your Netflix cue, a marathon is used as a metaphor for the main cha...

18 years ago today Nicholas Kai Gilroy entered the world. I remember that day like it just happened. He was born at home, with the mid-wife missing in action, and me having just arrived from working on a carpentry project that Saturday. After timing his mother’s contractions I figured I still had the opportunity to shower and shave and welcome our baby without the days dust on me. Barely out of the shower and half shaved, he started to emerge! I had no time to think about what was happening - he was ready to be born. Thank god I watched all those birthing videos in our Bradley class of Peruvian women popping out children and then going back to work. Easy right? I’ll never forget that moment as he slid into my hands and then gently onto our bed and the wonder in my voice as I said “it’s a boy”. And what a boy he was and now I can say what a man he is! Nick is a total joy and always has been. An amazing companion; a kind and thoughtful son. Funny, beautiful, smart, driven, helpful, loyal...

“Now they will know why they are afraid of the dark. Now they learn why they fear the night.” For those of you who live in New England you might have an inkling of what those words mean. Thulsa Doom said them to Conan after he was discovered at the Mountain of Power. Yesterday the Boston sports world went suddenly dark with one misplaced tackle on Tom Brady’s left knee. It was amazing to watch the collective breath of football fans held while awaiting word on Tom’s knee. Both those who love him and those who find him an adversary. Without a doubt a great athlete was dealt an untimely and disappointing blow. His season is over. The world went dark for Patriots fans. And yet as I have spoken of in many of these blogs Life is full of opportunities. All I could think of when I heard the news was how many of them there are. Check it out: For Tom it’s a chance to see how he handles an injury that will keep him from what he loves for this year. How will he handle that reality, what stories wi...