When I struggle to find a way into a topic, I can always count on a good meal to open the door for me. I mean, how can one begin to reflect on all that was 2020 and not struggle to find a succinct way to start even a single thought? Well, for me, the… Continue reading Food and Reflections from a Lonely NYE Dinner (2020)
*****Important note for the reader***** This post has foul language containing racist and homophobic slurs. They are only used for the sake of accurate and honest storytelling as they relate to my personal history. This post could be a step to position me as an ally to the black community. I will do my best,… Continue reading Racism and Me: A Personal Excavation
I watched the movie Philadelphia for the first time last night. Wow. I could watch that opening scene on a loop. Touring the city while Bruce Springsteen's Streets of Philadelphia hums in the background, body buzzing in the dissonance created by the beauty and hope of one of our nation's great cities brushing against all… Continue reading Philadelphia, AIDS, and COVID-19
It was late afternoon on a Tuesday. I was driving south on the pothole-riddled I95 towards Chester, PA. I had been making the drive every Tuesday since early October to participate in a 200-hour yoga teacher training inside the State Correctional Institution there, through a partnership with the Inside/Out Prison Exchange Program. I exited the… Continue reading The Paradox of Being White and Woke in America
I was prepared, mostly. Life happened, as it does, interrupting a couple important peak weeks of training, but I had started preparing early enough and I still believed I could finish the marathon around 4hrs ( the arbitrary goal I set for myself ). As I finished my last couple weeks of training I felt… Continue reading My First Marathon
Sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything. All I can say is that Peace Corps, like anything else, becomes a bit routine and my day to day becomes less interesting for me, making it hard to write about. You know how the conversations go back home: A: Whats up? B: Not much. What's up… Continue reading Animal Photos From Namibia (lazy post)
Walk in, shake head to break free from the stares. Start at the furthest point, grab bread. Work my way closer, soap then milk then eggs. Place items on counter. “No plastic please. No. I already have a bag. No plastic. No, you may not keep my change.” Remove items from plastic, transfer to reusable… Continue reading Shake Head
Two men sat at a table outside of a restaurant on a mild fall afternoon. A server approached them, and the older of the two, a healthy looking man approaching fifty, politely ordered an espresso. The younger man, a fairly athletic looking thirty year old, ordered a glass of red wine noticeably inspecting the attractive… Continue reading Speckle
