Copenhagen is one of my favorite cities. All the people riding their bikes. Nyhavn is gorgeous and where the people gather. Tivoli Gardens is this quaint amusement park. Green spaces and parks are everywhere. And there is a beach. The…
Spiritual Formation
I picked up Benjamin and David for twelve straight years at Willowdale Elementary School. I never would have guessed it at the time, but I miss those days. The little children have acceptance figured out. They don’t care what neighborhood…
50 Thing I’ve Learned in 50 Years
Freedom in life comes when you can say something like: “I’m cool with you not liking me. Not everybody has good taste.” Make three lists. A) The people you like to spend time with. B) The things you like to…
I turn fifty today. Assuming you are reading the print edition of this. If you are reading the blog version, I’ll be fifty on Groundhog’s Day or I turned fifty the day the 49ers and the Chiefs played the Super…
I wrestled when I was younger. It is still one of my favorite sports. I wrestled a future Olympic champion a number of times. That is my only notable achievement as a wrestler. I didn’t keep track, but I’m guessing…
The weather is cold. A group of hedgehogs crowd together to share each other’s heat, which they need to survive. However, their closeness causes them to bump into each other and they experience pain from each other’s sharp spines. This…
Thoughts on Last Night’s Debate
(Short on time this week. Here is a column I wrote on October 20th, 2016 – three years ago. I know there was a presidential debate last night. Here is why I didn’t watch three years ago and why I…
I was hiking through Platte River State Park last Saturday morning. Such a beautiful place. The park is peaceful and quiet early in the morning. The animals move through the forest as the sun rises. Some playing. Some searching for…
One of the Best and Worst Weekends of My Life
It was 3:00 on Saturday afternoon. A giant knot stamped out its authority on my stomach. I sat with about 2,500 people in Skoglund Auditorium. 750 of them were incoming freshman class at St. Olaf College. They arrived the day…
Clutter contaminates. We live in a complex, confused, and complicated culture. Simplicity is calling our name. Cutting through the clutter welcomes a clear, calm, and compelling life. Decluttering is not an easy task and society (distraction) and science (entropy) will…