Broken Rider: The Art of Getting up After a Fall

“You’re gettin’ too old to be doin’ this shit!”  That’s my wife, giving me the ol’, “I told you so” speech.  Two broken arms, bone contusions in both wrists, and a concussion are the proof, she piles on.  In my mind, I respond to this in two ways.  First, maybe she’s right.  Maybe this is…

The Art of Solitude: How to Be Alone in a World Full of People

Too often, we associate being alone with negativity.  We associate being alone with loneliness, depression, brooding, etc.  There is certainly truth to the fact that isolation can be negative, particularly for those battling addiction, depression or some other mental health-related issue.  We also know that socializing with other hoomans is a positive force in terms…

Level II Fun (Part 2): Out of the Pain Cave, Into the Light

If you’re new to this blog and haven’t yet read Level II Fun, Part I, you might want to go back and do so.  This post picks up where the last one left off.  For those returning to the blog, recall that I had had a very bad day on Mt. Tom, was sunburnt, dehydrated,…

How (Not) to Give a Wedding Gift

What does a Nature lover and adventure writer gift to friends for their wedding? It may not be what you think. The next installment in the How (Not) To series is a little funny, a little serious, and all good. Names and deets have been changed to protect the innocent.

Why The Humanities are Still King

When people hear that someone is majoring in English, chances are they think, “Oh, you are going to teach.”  Or, “Man, what in God’s name are you going to do with a degree in English?”  And it’s true, English majors largely end up as teachers; however, they bring a lot to the table that other…

Lacing up Your Boots: Picking up the Pieces After Relapse

St. Patrick’s day 2019, a bar in R.I.  “Hey, are you doing car bombs tonight?”  “Of course”, said the waitress, as I racked up another game of 8-ball for the four of us.  “Bring us a round.” For the second time in a week, and in the previous seventeen months, I was drinking, attempting to…

The Simple Joy of Walking in the Woods

“Being accustomed to climb trees in making botanical studies, I experienced no difficulty in reaching the top of this one, and never before did I enjoy so noble an exhilaration of motion. The slender tops fairly flapped and swished in the passionate torrent, bending and swirling backward and forward, round and round, tracing indescribable combinations…