05/29/2026 – C

Baxter Creek Bridge — Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Big Creek District, Waterville, NC exit access

My sister, Susan was brilliant, with 2 PhD’s, language ability in English and French and Academic Tenure at the university where she taught, and she took her own life by having a living will, admitting herself to Hospice and refusing to eat or drink until she died. That is meaning it. It is also having desire and expectations for life that are unmet on every level. Now, I have to say that there is a lot more that I will not miss about my life than I will miss, but I won’t miss it to the extent that I have to hurry my departure before it gets worse.

Susan and I looked at things differently. We had different perceptions, different perspectives. Perspective is everything. How we see what we look at makes all the difference. And what something we look at means to us determines, or strongly influences, what we do about what we see. The meanings we ascribe to the things in our lives, run and, perhaps, ruin, our life when we think that the way we see things is the way things are.

And the moral to this story is that we have to see our seeing, walk around it, sit with it, look it over from every angle until we can see the way we are seeing as the way it is and also is. When we examine the impact of our life. upon us, we are examining the impact of the way we see things and the meaning the way we see things has upon us. Changing the way we see things just by seeing the way we see things, changes the meaning life has for us, changes the way we live, changes life. Perspective is everything. As our perspective shifts, our life shifts with it. It is worth our time to sit with what we think we see until we can see our seeing and what impact it is having on the way we live (And how much in the way of drugs and alcohol we consume).

05/29/2026 – B

Alone on Christmas Eve — Blowing Rock, North Carolina

We all are born with what we need to find what we need to do what needs to be done in each situation as it arises. And it all depends upon what meets us at birth. Everything hinges on the environment that receives us when we are born. We are never alone. We all are encased in the invisible essence constituting the quality of life on this side of the womb. Many, perhaps most, of us spend our lives compensating for what was missing from our life at birth. And that comes down to, depends upon, flows from, the quality of our relationship with ourselves–and how observant, aware of, the fact of that relationship and the degree of its significance to the life we are living. And the marker reflecting all of this to eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that understand, may well be the quality of the manner in which we handle silence. How comfortable are we–how at home are we–with emptiness, stillness, silence? How quiet can we be for how long? What meets us in the silence? What do we do with the quiet? And, to what extent do we enjoy being alone with ourselves?

There comes a time when we must become the parents we never had. When we become the father/mother we needed but wasn’t/weren’t there. I am the best father I ever (never) had–And I have been growing into the role all my life. So that, by now, I am quite safe and secure with me. And enjoy my own company as much as I have ever enjoyed anyone’s. I am a delight to be around. And I laugh at/with me all of the time. Everything I write/think becomes a gift from us to ourselves and to all of those who read/hear what we have to say. The joy of knowing who I am, doing what is mine to do redeems/atones for all that was not there to greet me at birth. May it be so for us all!

May 29, 2026

Lake Crandall Mirror — Anne Springs Close Greenway, Fort Mill, South Carolina

Relaxing into the moment is being here, now–waiting to see what is called for in each situation as it arises. It is allowing our intuition to take the lead, permitting our mind to rest and simply receive whatever is calling for its attention. This is the place to be here, now, waiting to see what may come along in the next moment, with no expectations and no demands or requirements, just curious about what the next moment, situation, may bring.

May 28, 2026 – B

Portland Headlight, Portland, Maine

Getting/having our way is not the way. Living aligned with the Way is the way. Doing what is called for here, now, when, where and how it is called for is the Way. It isn’t having, getting anything. It is being who we need to be, doing what needs to be done, here, now in every situation as it arises. To do that, we have to listen, look, see, hear, and know what we know. Which asks us to spend time being quiet, observing inner and outer, in order to see what we look at, realize what’s what, and do what is called for. That is called living live as it needs to be lived.

May 28, 2026

False Kevia — Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah

This image and the one I made in Watkins Glen are the two prime examples of my devotion to my intuition. I saw photos of both locations in photography magazines and was moved sufficiently by each to go to the trouble of getting to each site and doing that it took to come home with acceptable photographs. I will add that intuition is responsible for my photography from the start. I fell in love with a 35mm single lens reflex camera resting on a pool side table in a made for TV detective thriller that I saw as I walked through our den on my way out of the house when I was a junior in college. And a camera has been a part of my life ever since. And intuition has been a bigger part of my life, leading me from there to here, now all along the way. Leading me to this conclusion: If you aren’t living in the service of your intuition, you are missing your life. And it is never too late to wake up, get on board and allow your intuition to guide you the rest of the way.

May 27, 2026

Cullasaja River Cascades — Cullasaja River Gorge, Franklin, North Carolina, Nantahala National Forest

The thing to remember about Jesus is that he didn’t have a way. “Thy will, not mine be done.” Now we all are of the opinion that this was addressed to “God the Father, Almighty,” because we have been told that for absolute ages. I am here to suggest to you that God the Father Almighty is the creation of theology, primarily that of the Church of Rome in the 392 years between Jesu’s crucifixion for turning over the tables of the money changers in the temple and being a threat to the power of Judaism in Jerusalem. He was a revolutionary reformer and he was executed for it. And my contention is that he was addressing his, “Thy will, not mine be done,” to his intrinsic Intuition that was guiding him along his life’s way. And Jesus knew that his will, his wanting what he wanted and not what he needed to want was in his way, and he sacrificed his way and himself for the sake of what the situation called for: His death in the service of his idea of how Judaism ought to be.

Jesus was a revolutionary reformer in the traditions of all of the prophets of lore. And the difference between a reformer and a heretic is exactly what? The Priest and the leaders of the Temple saw Jesus as a heretic and a threat to the religious establishment. Jesus was a reformer and a threat to the religious establishment. And he died, like hundreds of his followers who also were reformers called heretics just like their leader, in the service of their idea of what the religious establishment should be. And neither Jesus nor his follow reformers had a will that got in their way. Their intuition–their heart-felt knowledge of what was called for an needed to be done–led the all along the way.

Our will gets in the way–because we will what we want. Our place is to read the signs of the times and to know what we know and take up the cause of what is called for amid what’s what, what’s happening, what’s called for and what needs to be done about it in each situation as it arises. When we are clear about that and live in the service of what is called for here, now, we are being who Jesus was. We are then Jesus in 2026 CE as he was Jesus in 036 CE. And what we want takes a seat in deference to, and the service of that which is called for and needs to be done in each situation as it arises here, now.

So getting what we want and having our way are not the driving force of our life. Seeing what’s what and knowing what is called for is (to be) the driving force of our life. And that means turning the light around. It also means praying without ceasing, which was Jesus’ call to drop into emptiness, stillness and silence often enough and long enough to know what’s what, what’s happening, and what is called for here, now in every here, now that comes along, which equates nicely to praying without ceasing, no?

May 26, 2026

Baxter Creek Bridge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Big Creek District, Waterville, NC Access, North Carolina

Our overall, around the clock life strategy is to trust ourselves to the moment, to the here, now of our life, staying out of our way and allowing ourselves to respond to each moment of each situation as it arises with what is needed, when, where and how it is needed all our life long. Our undergirding belief is in ourselves, knowing that we have what we need to find what we need to do what needs to be done, here, now, always and forever. Thus, we walk into each day prepared to do what is called for throughout the day. Taking our cue for how to respond to the moment from the moment itself. No anxiety, no fear, no uncertainty. We have what it takes. Let’s see what is called for. This is our attitude for each moment of every day for the rest of our life. Notice this does not place the emphasis on having our way and getting what we want, but on seeing what is called for and offering what we have to give in doing what is called for and letting that be that. Our will and our way take a back seat to what is called for here, now. Our faith is not in getting what we want but in doing what is asked of us and trusting our needs to be met, perhaps at the expense of our ambition/desire.

May 25, 2026 – D

Brown Pelican at Sunrise — Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

Jesus lived Jesus’ idea of the life he needed to live in light of what the situation at hand called for when, where and how the situation at hand called for his life to be lived. We cannot hope to do better than living our idea of the life we need to live in light of what the situation at hand calls for, when, where and how the situation calls for our life to be lived.

Living to see, hear, know, understand what’s what, what’s happening and what is called for in response in each situation as it arises using the gifts of our original nature, our innate virtues (The things we do best and enjoy doing most), our inherent imagination and our intrinsic intuition is to do exactly what Jesus did, and if anyone thinks they can do better than that, get out of their way and let them do it!

May 25, 2026 – C

The Cypress Cove — Lake Chicot State Park, Ville Platte, Louisiana

No expectations, no desires, no willful insistence on having things our way. Just seeing, just hearing, just sensing/feeling, understanding, knowing what’s what and whats happening, and what is called for, and what needs to happen in response, and doing it as it needs to be done, when it needs to be done, where it needs to be done in each situation as it arises, as “circumstances beget circumstances” (An old Taoist way of explaining the essence of “No beginning, no ending”) all our life long. This is the Way. All the way along the way.

MAY 25, 2026 – B

Peach Orchard Memory — Anne Springs Close Greenway, Fort Mill, South Carolina

Articulation is the pathway–the Way–to TRUTH, as long as it does not merely repeat what has always been said, as is the case with theology and preaching, patriotism and blah, blah, blah wherever it is experienced. Jacob Brownski said, “We cannot know the truth unless we live in certain ways.” We have to live truthfully. It takes the truth to know the truth. It takes being the truth to know the truth. If we are not living truthfully, we are lying utterly, completely, uselessly. Why live a lie? Yet, that is the way life is lived all about us through the ages. Politics and Religion are two places where lying is not only commonplace, but also are required, demanded, insisted upon–and everyone is in on the travesty. I call out the lie! The lying! With: A Pox On All Your Houses! All of those who would know the truth must live it in order to speak it! And that line is very short indeed.

May 25, 2026

Bass Harbor Lighthouse — Tremont, Maine

When Jesus said, “Pray without ceasing,” I interpret that to mean “Be always aware of that which is thought of as God with us.” Be always open to that which is with us always. How do we experience “that which is with us always”? “The something that is there”? “The something that is there” has been “there” from the very earliest awareness of “the presence.” I think every living thing is aware of “the presence,” and has been from the start. I think of that eternal presence as “Psyche.” The best thing about “Psyche” is that (She) is not draped with theology. We can sense (Her) presence but we have not invented a vocabulary with which to talk about (Her), and may it always be so.

Theology so skews the field! We cannot mention the word “God” without being immediately carried away into Original Sin, The Garden of Eden, Atonement, Redemption, Forgiveness, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, Heaven, Hell, etc. God has been captured and held captive by theology and has no hope of escape. So “God” is a word we cannot use because its meaning has been coopted, hijacked, and cannot be freed, and thus cannot be used to mean anything other than what it means. But, Psyche? As free as the wind blowing through the Cosmos! And it is that wind that I understand Jesus to be meaning us to be always attending. And, Oh if we would! That would transform everything!

Take it out for a test drive! Become aware of the “Something” that is with us always by being with the “Something” always throughout the day. Realize that we are sharing life always with “Something” that I call “Psyche.” See what you think, what you feel. See how it goes. Without ceasing.

May 24, 2026 – B

Mother of the Sea — Pacific Northwest

The message of all the Messiahs through time is simple, straight forward, in capable of being missed, and, therefore being ignored: “This is the way to do it! Be me!” And we worship them all for being the spit’n image of who we all need to be, and letting them bear the wounds and the burdens that are ours to carry–which we disdain, preferring, instead, to project onto Jesus, and Gandhi, and all martyrs of all causes, the worship and admiration of disciples a step or two removed from the sacrifices made by those they worship and admire. And conveniently ignoring that it is not about believing in the masters, it is about BEING the masters. But that is a step too far. No?

In the silence, emptiness, stillness, we find what we need to do what is called for and needs to be done in each situation as it arises all our life long–doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, and in the right way. Through “circumstances begetting circumstances” all the way along the Way. And that is all there is to it. “Nothing to it but to do it!” (Maya Angelou).