Author Archives: jimwdollar

What would it take to turn the world around? Not THE world. YOUR world and MY world. What would it take? For me it will be dropping into the silence and being open to what is called for here, now, and simply doing that when, where, and how it is called for in each situationContinue reading “November 01, 2026”

Taking everything with no more seriousness than it deserves will soften your life and increase your joy in living.

The Human Experience is beyond imagining. How we deal with our lives is actually super-human. Ordinary people dealing with the trauma and tragedy of daily experience, and then thrown into war? What is that? PSTD from WWII and Vietnam haunts how many this far away from the impact of that horror? And we are allContinue reading “October 30, 2026”

The Tao has a way, and we have a way. Whose way will be THE way? Following the Tao, living aligned with the Tao, is as simple as ignoring our way and allowing the Tao to become our new way. And that is as simple as dropping into the silence and discerning what is calledContinue reading “October 29, 2026”

When I was in my photography phase, which ended when my knees gave out, I made every necessary sacrifice to be where the photograph was. Up before sunrise, out after moonset all over the country and into Canada. I met the requirements. Paid the price. And have the portfolio to prove it. The natural worldContinue reading “October 28, 2026”

Letting things be what they are and knowing when intervention is required and when it would only make thing worse is an art to living well upon the earth. Too much the savior is intrusion. Too little the savor is aiding and abetting. When are we being nosy and when do we need to beContinue reading “October 27, 2026”

This is my home sanctum looking toward my Wailing Wall replica. My office is a memento of me with my prayer beads, my books, my photographs, my rocking chairs and, of course, two windows to look out. This is my retreat, my hangout, my get-a-way, my sanctuary, my creation, and is just like me, whoContinue reading “October 26, 2026”

Liberty, Justice, Equality, Truth are the four foundational values. All of the others, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Gentleness, Generosity, Loyalty, Troth and however many more there may be all depend upon and flow from the four pillars of Democracy. We should all stand together every Fourth of July and swear our plight and our unitedContinue reading “October 25, 2026”

We need contrasts to see anything. Without contrast everything would be invisible. Where does good end and bad begin? We might draw the line in different places at different times of the day, or of our life. “It all depends,” sometimes. Sometimes “It doesn’t matter.” Who is to say? We are. Each of us isContinue reading “October 24, 2026”

Silence itself is a natural wonder. Just being quiet. Looking out the window. Open to the astounding experience of being alive and knowing it. How often do we do that in a day?

Darkness as the gateway to mystery and understanding–understanding that darkness and mystery are just that–darkness and mystery! And some things can be experienced but not understood and some things can be understood but not explained. The proper response to such things is, “Oh, I see!” while not seeing at all. See?

I wish I had spent more time in Dupont State Forest, but I was running out of time, and we make concessions and trade-offs all along the way. It is a great area and under-advertised, but the people who know about it love it, as well they should. Another way of saying, “Nature is there,Continue reading “October 21, 2026”