A Beacon of Light

A friend shared this song with me last night. I wanted to share it with you this morning. Today, July 31st, is the anniversary of my Dad’s death. He passed away unexpectedly in 2008. This song, by the group Westlife, is called “I’ll See You Again.” Click HERE to listen to it. Here are the…

“All truly great thoughtsare conceivedwhile walking.” Friedrich Nietzsche Any time of day can be thought of as walking time. This morning, I walked through the neighborhood in the mid-morning to early-afternoon hours. I logged over 8,000 steps — 3.3 miles. This evening, I’m planning to walk again, but it will be a shorter walk. The…

“Sittin’ in themornin’ sun,I’ll be sittin’ whenthe evenin’ come…”Otis Redding Prior to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, at a time before schools needed security fences around the perimeter of their campus, and before passengers were required to remove their shoes going through security lines at the airport, the cruise ship docks in Nassau…

“But why — but why shouldany wish to kill me?”MowgliThe Jungle Book Was it premeditated? No, I don’t think so. Yesterday’s morning walk with a small group of my elementary school classmates (John Sinclair, Craig Loeffler, and Marian Ritchie — and John’s wife, Doreen) began congenially enough at 31st & Santiago in The City yesterday…

“There are far, far betterthings ahead than anywe leave behind.” C.S. Lewis It was another serendipitous moment. I took another 6.5-mile walk through the Outer Sunset District yesterday afternoon. I started, as I often do, with breakfast at Java Beach Café on Judah Street. After enjoying a bowl of oatmeal and cup of hot chocolate, I…

“Golden Gate Park offersenduring proof that humanbeings can alter the planetwith reverence.” Kevin Starr After several hours of writing yesterday morning, I needed a break. I’d been sitting too long. As I looked out the window of my hotel here in San Francisco, I could see that the fog had lifted and the sun was shining…

“The fog in San Franciscois not just a weather pattern;it’s a living, breathing entity.” Rebecca Solnit It was another one of those July San Francisco days. After thirteen hours of persistent fog, the sun finally emerged… at 7:00 p.m., and for less than five minutes. After that, the fog obscured the solar orb for the…

“One of the most beloved and popular treats was the ice cream sandwich.” Annie Reese It caught me by surprise. Despite the fact that it was 56º, foggy, drizzly, and windy, an ice cream truck, with music blaring, rolled down 48th Avenue yesterday afternoon. An ice cream truck… in San Francisco! I had never heard…

“Life is not alwaysperfect. Like a road,it has many bends,ups and downs,but that’s its beauty.” Amit Ray Interstate 280, between San José and San Francisco, is one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in the United States. The trees, rolling hills, open meadows, mountain views, and, at times, a blanket of fog cascading over the…

“It is only the things wedon’t understand thathave any meaning.” Carl Jung The number 43. I’ve written about it before. I’ve shared my experience with repeatedly seeing it in various places throughout my day. This has been going on for several years, and it continues to this day. It began a few years after my father…