Author: bearsox

The time for New Year’s Resolutions is upon us. I’d like to provide some encouragement to those starting with a less than confident attitude about their chances of success in this year’s attempt at improvement.

Feeling stuck is among the most common reasons for failing to achieve goals. We become trapped by energy draining circumstances, comfort levels, financial and social status, the perception of others, and our fear of the unknown. We too often respond to feeling stuck by settling and trying to justify to ourselves that the deferral (read abandonment) of a particular goal was for the best “at this time” (read forever).

Committing to a new challenge is uncomfortable. We tend to be where we are currently for a reason, namely it has been the path of least resistance. Our basic needs are somewhat satisfied and the passion to rise above inertia has not ignited a sense of urgency. In the end, the passion required to change the status quo and prepare us for the consequences of change is made possible through dilligent discernment.

Spend time with your goal. Challenge it. Ask questions about it. What are the benefits of achieving this goal? Does society improve if this is achieved? Will this make me a better person? Does it lead me to a higher purpose? Is anyone negatively impacted by this effort? Are there more purposeful endeavors I should be considering? Think about it. Pray about it. Talk about it with people who you respect and those who could be impacted. Discern the value. if you approach the process seriously and conclude the path is important, the fire to defeat inertia will be lit.

History is full of examples of people who have had dramatic impact after finding their calling and radically changing course at the conclusion of a well formed discernment process. Augustine’s work has influenced people for over a thousand years after starting from the inertia of “give me celibacy, just not now”. Benedict was led to tear his mind from past trappings by rolling in thorns on his path to impacting the world. Newly canonized Saint John Henry Newman relinquished status and comfort when he concluded over a century ago that a conversion from the Anglican church to Catholicism was his calling. His impact is felt by multitudes to this day. Each of these men found the strength to commit to a new way of life through discernment and found their highest purpose in the process.

Not all goals are worth pursuing, and applying energy to the ones that are usually will not require the magnatude of life change described in the examples above. Inevitably though, all worthy goals are achieved by a commitment to pursuit. Discernment is the process that makes pursuit reality.

#1 Born to Run- Bruce Springsteen

I have no idea how my life would have turned out had Springsteen not recorded and released this album in 1975, but I do know things would have been very different. The closest parallel situation that I can relate is the story of Puccini first encountering a raw and untrained Enrico Caruso, who auditioned for a role in the La Scala debut of La Boheme. A few bars into the audition, Puccini stopped playing the piano, looked up and asked Caruso “Who sent you to me? God?”

The three central themes of this record to me are:
• Face Your Fears (Thunder Road)
• Follow Your Passion (Born To Run, She’s The One)
• Even when things don’t work out, the joy is in the journey (Meeting Across the River, Jungleland, Backstreets).

Song after song, Bruce tells us to acknowledge what you’re feeling (“no matter where you go tonight or how far you run- she’s the one.”) learn your lessons (“after all this time to find we’re just like all the rest”) reconcile with your past (” you can blame it all on me, Terry it don’t matter to me now”) and move forward (from “so Mary climb in” to “tramps like us, baby we were born to run”). This was the message I desperately needed to hear and understand in 1975.

I was sitting in my room after midnight, contemplating the rapidly arriving unknown that was my future after high school, and listening to Livermore radio station KKIQ the first time I heard Born to Run. I immediately called the station, asked who sang the song and asked the DJ if he’d play it again. I may have been the only one listening to that station at that time. Minutes later, the DJ obliged me.

I bought the album a couple of days afterward. That was unusual for me. For primarily financial reasons, I usually did not purchase records before I had heard the whole album. But I just knew this one was going to be different, and it proved to be true. Every time I’d listen to that record, my focus became clearer and my resolve got stronger. I felt like Bruce was singing to me. I excitedly told everyone I came in contact with about this album. Most people thought I was nuts.

A lot of people thought Bruce could not sing and his music didn’t appeal to some at first. While I acknowledge that Bruce is not Caruso, for me, the music, with its relentless drive and theatrical flair, has always matched his overriding message- stop crying, get off your ass and do something about it. Knowing each verse of these songs so well, the music alone gets me motivated and moving. Just the musical ending of the songs Thunder Road, She’s the One and Jungleland or the long introduction to Backstreets drive me to action.

(Regarding theatre, I’ve often thought of Jungleland as Bruce’s West Side Story.)

There have been many times in my life that I have needed to rev myself up to face my fears, follow my passion, and remind myself that the joy is in the journey. While I have found sources other than Bruce to help me with those moments, to this day a good dose of Born to Run never hurts.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#2 Shaman and Supernatural- Carlos Santana

At #2, I offer twin albums released three years apart that connected with me personally, musically and symbolically.

Santana, a product of San Francisco, burst into national prominence at Woodstock and has widely been recognized as one of the most expressive guitarists in the history of recorded music. His music blends Latin, blues, jazz and rock elements as seamlessly as any artist.  Prior to the release of these two albums, his career is marked with a long stream of hits, a good number of commercial flops, and a series of transitions attempting to match his formidable musical gifts with artists and compositions that could resonate with listeners.  Results were mixed.

The concept of collaboration albums was in use regularly around the time of the release of these two albums, but the efforts were primarily nostalgic (Frank Sinatra’s “Duets” and Ray Charles’ “Genius Loves Company”) or genre specific like Dr. Dre’s Chronic 2001, which to me was like adding dough to dough to make a bigger, better loaf of bread.  On Shaman and Supernatural, Santana collaborates with a number of high energy young artists across genres and in essence mixing apples, cherries or peaches with dough, creating a unique and appetizing fruit pie. (Sorry, I’m Italian, I think in food metaphors).

I will always associate the music and energy of these albums with my the years I spent trying to make an impact in Los Angeles, both through my involvement in an East LA not for profit organization and the countless hours I spent with my coaching brothers on hot fields (“seven inches from the midday sun”) forming young men through baseball drills like the one we lovingly called “Death by Fungo”. (again, from the song “Smooth”, “give me your heart, make it real or else forget about it”).

These albums were Santana’s best-selling and most award-winning, the first of which was released the year after his induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  That status might well have been the impetus for the collaboration concept, but regardless, these records are evidence of a fundamental concepts I try to incorporate into my daily thinking- the significance of the other.  People need each other.  We very rarely make a contribution of our best selves alone, and the more diverse our associations, the greater the opportunity exists for our best selves to find their maximum impact.

Shaman and Supernatural give me energy and make me feel good about life and its possibilities.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#3 Freedom- Neil Young

I’ve been captivated and moved by Neil Young’s music for Decades (pardon the pun). My college roommates will recall the many confrontations I had with pissed off students in our apartment complex as “Like a Hurricane” competed with “Born to Run” for the most played song on my stereo, loud enough for the entire complex to enjoy. Decades later, when every family member living in my house went to bed at 8:30 on Sunday Nights, I was less inclined to blast music and made a weekly pilgrimage to a local bar called Citylights to knock down a few shots of Patron and organize my thoughts for the coming work week. (While I can’t honestly recommend Patron for improving organizational skills, I can say that it greatly enhances the enjoyment of organization if that skill is a strength of yours).

Citylights offered me a trifecta too enticing to refuse- The owner had bribed local authorities to permit smoking, ESPN Sunday Night sports highlights projected on a half dozen screens throughout the bar, and they hired some long-haired musician who spent the night playing Neil Young songs that sounded more and more like the original recordings with each passing tequila shot.

“Freedom” is the product of a brilliant composer and lyricist at the height of his skills. All the elements of Young’s career on display in a single record-

• Biting social commentary “One more kid that will never go to school, never get to fall in love, never get to be cool”

• Haunting ballads about the edges of love (“Hanging on a Limb” and “Wrecking Ball”)

• Musical riffs that pour emotion into your ears and leave an indelible mark on your heart. “El Dorado” is about as good as any song can be arranged and performed.

Every track has its place on this album as unique expressions and ramifications of Freedom are presented for us to encounter. I’ve always been particularly fascinated with the way Young ties all his elements together in the song “Someday” where he blends the human need to escape with his disdain for Evangelists and air polluters, only to end with the hope that the love of two people can make everything alright. No one deals with the multi-faceted elements of a topic quite like Neil Young and “Freedom” is a great example of his many gifts.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#4 Cosmo’s Factory- Creedence Clearwater Revival

I selected this album because it was my introduction to album rock, was one of the most popular rock albums crossing genres of its time and because I have a personal attachment to this record. I have 50 years of history to cover in a few short paragraphs, so forgive me if this post feels a bit disjointed.

I moved from Chicago to Livermore in the 6th grade and did very well at Mendenhall Jr. High that year, primarily because most of the material we covered I had learned in Catholic School the year before. The people in administration decided to put me in advance classes with the smart kids in 7th grade, an experiment that other than math lasted only one year. What I found from interacting with these classmates was that not only were my interests unique, they were narrow and underdeveloped. In Chicago, for example, one of your most important early life decisions was whether you’d be a fan of the White Sox or Cubs. These kids were talking about fashion trends and classic novels at a time where I only read the sports page.

Our 7th grade English teacher was Ms. Sensor, who was as close to a flower child of the ’60s as I encountered in my life. She asked us to bring in records to play for a class assignment. Those of you who have been following my countdown can imagine my surprise when my Tom Jones album lost a class vote to Cosmo’s Factory something like 29-1. As we heard Creedence’s Louisiana Swamp renditions of Bo Diddley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Marvin Gaye covers, my ears were opened. John Fogerty’s own “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” became the first 45RPM record I ever purchased a few weeks later.

Proof of the Classic Rock status of this record is the fact that so many of these songs have been covered by artists of various genres in the decades subsequent to its 1970 release. My proof is more personal. My dad, who generally hated everything that came from the stereo in my room, actually liked many of these songs.
As a side note, there was one other song not on this album from my era that my dad loved to poke fun at, Paul McCartney’s “Let ‘em In”. Years after that song was released, I’d hear my dad say “Hey Carl, Someone’s Ringing the Bell. Open the door and Let ‘em In. HaHaHaHaHa.”

I flew to DC a few weeks ago with my mom to attend the 50th wedding anniversary of one of my aunts. At the dinner, another Aunt commented: “Carl, you laugh just like Joey.” While it’s good to know I carry some of his qualities, I can say with all humility, there was no one like Joey.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#5 Continuum- John Mayer

Since the day my daughter Allison bought this CD for me in 2009, I’ve played the songs on this album more than any other music I own.  There are a number of reasons for this.

1. Most of you are familiar with the family car ride and the struggle for control of the sound system.  Imagine your situation, then add a car full of stubborn Italians and even more stubborn Japanese and you get a flavor for my family dilemma.  While I can say without hesitation that my Pavarotti and Opera CD’s caused the most consternation, this album was a peacekeeper.  Everyone loved it for their own reasons.  The peace was a welcome stress reducer during the all too frequent 10 mile/ 2 hour LA commutes.
2. This album could have easily be titled “Transition”, dealing with topics like aging parents (Stop This Train), broken relationships (pick a track), and the need for general personal reform (In Repair) in a way that is open, honest, and not defeatist.  Through it all we get a sense there is a way out- “The Heart of Life” is good.
3. The music perfectly matches the message.  Mayer can make a guitar whine like Clapton and bring you from high to low over the course of a few bars.  He is as gifted a songwriter as he is a musician
4. “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” and “I’m Gonna Find Another You” are two of my favorite songs by any artist and perfect bookends in the process of identifying the problem and resolving to work through it.

I’ve never seen Mayer in person, but that will be remedied in August when my son Dominick and I attend his show at the United Center.  I’m expecting a memorable evening.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#6 Tunnel of Love- Bruce Springsteen

One of the most difficult things to do in life is to openly and publicly expose personal struggles and failures.  One need look no further than the typical post on Facebook and Instagram.  Generally speaking, you will find people either trying to persuade you to see something their way or glimpse at a fabulous corner of their lives.  I have nothing against this personally, I like to see good things happening to people I care about.  My point is struggle, doubt and the many ramifications of those conditions are undoubtedly part of each of our lives but are commonly shielded from public view.

“Tunnel of Love” to me feels like Bruce is struggling and losing a battle between who he wants to be and what he can be.  This record was released during the dying days of his marriage to Julianne Phillips.  He steps into the confessional seeking comfort and relief (“All That Heaven Will Allow”) and we are all there to hear his sins and witness the pain they are causing him. Although the Tunnel of Love tour included the E Street Band and they have credit on the record, Bruce recorded this album by himself- he entered the confessional alone.  Bruce is coming face to face with his own humanity and finding that no matter how much he wills himself to be a better man, his limitations are in the way. Song after song paints the picture:

Ain’t Got You: I’ve got it all, but I’m “the greatest fool this world ever knew” because I need something else.

Tougher Than the Rest: I can will myself to be the man I want to be.

All That Heaven Will Allow:  What I want is out there, maybe I can con my way into it. “come on Jim, slip me in man”

Spare Parts: The mother of an illegitimate child begins the process of drowning her child to free herself from the pain in her life, ultimately finding she can’t do it

Cautious Man: Between tattoos of love and fear, an honest and dutiful man finds only a permanent coldness.

Walk Like a Man:  Following the footsteps of his father, a struggling Bruce resolves to use his dad’s example to do what is right.

Tunnel of Love: In a relationship where the “room of shadows is so dark brother it’s easy for two people to lose each other”, Bruce tries “to learn to live with what (he) can’t rise above”.

Two Faces: Bruce confronts his failing inner struggle between need and duty, a fight he cannot pray his way through

Brilliant Disguise: A haunting description of the self-loathing and distrust Bruce feels for himself behind the mask he shows the world as he asks God for mercy

One Step Up: Bruce sees himself in a downward spiral, he’s “slipped off track” and is losing ground with each step.

When You’re Alone: Bruce finds that whatever external things a person can rely on, and however hard he works, a feeling of loneliness over lost love is consuming and pervasive.

Valentines Day: Bruce, alone and separated from what he wants tells us he is afraid to lose what he has and asks his honey to be his “lonely Valentine” Those two words that just don’t go together paint the perfect final picture of the conflict and consequence Bruce is wrestling with.

For me, this album is like Pepto Bismol, I don’t need it often, but I’m glad it’s on my shelf when it can help me solve a problem. It is a reminder that none of us are perfect and neither is life, despite what you may see on social media.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#7- I (Who Have Nothing)- Tom Jones

I already owned a couple of Tom Jones albums when I (Who Have Nothing) was released in 1970.  The album had 2 singles that made the charts (The title song and Daughter of Darkness), and in retrospect, contain a number of tunes that are now regarded as classics, notably The Bee Gee’s “To Love Somebody” John Fogerty’s “Lodi”, Ray Charles “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, Burt Bacharach’s “What The World Needs Now”, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “I Have Dreamed” and the definitive song from the Great Depression era “Brother Can You Spare a Dime”.  This album had the effect of broadening my musical taste, but that is not why I love it.

Save cigarette smoking, there is no one interest of mine that received as much ridicule from friends and acquaintances as my passion for the music of Tom Jones.  During my early years in Livermore (ages 11-15), my sister Cindy was merciless in her criticism.  Her opinion was heartily shared by most people our age. To the average adolescent/ preadolescent in Livermore in the 1970’s there was nothing cool about Tom Jones.

Coincidentally, at that time there was nothing cool about me either.  I was late to puberty and my body was far behind my love for sports.  I was a late pick in pick-up games with the boys and off the list of first boyfriend candidates with the girls.  I had been in a couple of school plays in junior high, but they did little to improve my social standing.  I entered high school 5”1” and 150 pounds.  Bill Whalen had nicknamed me steamboat, fire hydrant would have been equally appropriate.  I had an identity, but not a lot of confidence in it.

I took a drama class the first semester of my freshman year because despite the lack of recognition, I knew I did that well.  One of our first assignments was to lip-sync a song.  Those of you who remember me from that time will recall that I was an antagonist.  One by one students went up to perform their songs and one by one I let them know their flaws during the review session that followed.  “Why would you pull a flute out of mid-air?” was one of my criticisms.   Near the end of the exercise came my turn.  I remember Ms. Williams, the teacher saying “We’ve been waiting for this” when I walked to the record player.  So was I.  It was me and Tom Jones, “the Voice”, about to express the pain of “I (Who Have Nothing”).  I was the only one in the room who expected the result.  When I finished, 30 people who wanted to tear me apart, stood up and clapped.

That moment was watershed for me because I had confirmed evidence that I could trust myself.  It didn’t matter that I was short, or that I had the interests of a kid raised in an ethnic blue-collar neighborhood in Chicago.  At that moment I knew that when I was good, I was good anywhere.  Ultimately, that self-confidence made me a better friend, a better worker, a better father.  Tom Jones affected my life.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#8 New York- Lou Reed

One of the great contributions of popular music in America has been its ability to raise social awareness.   Carrying on the mantle of literary authors and poets like Carl Sandburg, who’s dogeared volume of “Chicago Poems” still finds it’s way into my hands about once a month, folk artists like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot joined a host of blues artists to give us insight into the plight of the common man struggling through the American experience in the 30’s 40’s and 50’s.  Bob Dylan brought this flavor from folk to rock in the 60’s and the tradition carries on today into hip hop and rap through albums like Dr.Dre’s “The Chronic 2001” which was the competition for my final #8 selection.

My favorite example of this artistry is Lou Reed’s 1989 discourse on the underbelly of New York where we meet the outcasts, the extreme, the marginalized citizens of the last pre-Social Media influencer of the world.  As NYC follows its inevitable path to having the modern-day influence of Sears Roebuck in this new digital world, Reed gives us a glimpse of what it was at its apex through stories of those at the bottom in the classic “Dirty Blvd.” and a dozen other musically alive and thought-provoking stories. He then takes shots at those at the top, including himself, in the search for common ground in “Good Evening Mr. Waldheim” and the judgmental “Strawman” where the popular and material people responsible for this mess are proclaimed as “going straight to hell”.  I’ve always found Reed’s music fun to listen to, and at the times I felt like listening deeply, substantial food for thought.  “New York” is a great example of the power music possesses to simultaneously entertain and educate.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

#9 Nights of Fire- Benise

Spanish Guitar in its various forms has been a favorite of mine for years.  A client of mine gave me a DVD for Benise’s Emmy Award-winning PBS Special “Night’s on Fire” in 2006 and I was instantly a fan.  I saw him live a few months later, not knowing his career would directly intersect with my life. 

In 2010 I was looking for musicians to play at a 50^th Birthday Party I was throwing for my wife and a friend mentioned he knew Roni Benise’s agent.  I hired Roni and two of his band members, then called and asked if my son Dominick who was studying Classical Guitar as a sophomore in High School could perform at the party with him.  Roni generously agreed.  The party was at the Soho House in Hollywood and the guests all lived near us in the Whittier area so I rented a bus to transport the partygoers ensuring no one would have to drive drunk that evening.  I took the opportunity to use the bus ride to kick off the party by liberally distributing shots of Patron. 

When we arrived at the Soho House, Andy Kwan, a great friend, and partner in our Chinese import business, who was several shots to the good, asked Roni if he’d ever performed in China.  Roni said it was always a dream of his.  “Oh, we can get you into China easy” Andy boasted.  Three days later we met Roni to discuss terms of us representing him for a concert tour in China. I only had one condition, which was that Dominick would perform with the musicians.  Benise agreed. 

Andy and I put a deal together with a promoter in China for a 10 show 8 City tour over 12 days beginning December 22, 2011.  I spent those 12 days as Dominick’s chaperone and as a surrogate roadie for the Benise Troupe.  Dominick, at 16 years old, performed nightly in front of crowds of 3,000, signing autographs for star-struck Chinese girls after the performances and being mentored by the talented professional musicians in Benise’s group.  I had a great time and he had the experience of a lifetime.  He later appeared in an encore performance with Roni in the USA in 2012.

Nights of Fire mixes Spanish Traditional Standards like “Mi Amor”, and add Salsa, Samba, Flamenco and a few of Roni’s own creations.  The music stands on its own, but if you get a chance to watch the video and add the color and passion of the dancers, you are in for an unforgettable experience.  These performances touched my soul in 2006 and my experiences with this music burn in my memory today.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

Back to Family

#10 Man in Motion- Warren Haynes

Don Imus did a very early morning show on cable about 10 years ago (3 AM Pacific) that introduced me to Warren Haynes.  I’d describe Haynes as a journeyman, lots of nights in clubs, some recorded covers, a general music style where Southern Rock meets Saxophone, but if you listen, you’ll hear Tower of Power, Creedence, the Doobie Brothers, and an occasional Steely Dan riff.  In 2011 God touched him twice and they both ended up on this album.  “Your Wildest Dreams” is, in my view, one of the top 10 songs ever recorded (It might have been #1 if Clarence had played the Sax part).  The song resonates an inescapable pain and drags the listener from a distance, back in time through cause, effect and into permanence.  In the other episode of divine intervention, “Hattiesburg Hustle” takes us through the grinding, haunting days of chasing a dream with its reminder of the drive- “Ego’s a muscle, just add fame and watch it swell.”  The rest of the album is a veteran performer displaying a craft built with time and sweat, a reminder of the work that prepares us for the day a blessing appears.

Full Top 10 Album Challenge

One of the primary feelings a parent has is protectiveness. No one wants to see their kids suffer or hurt and when it happens, the natural instinct is to ease the pain and speed the healing.

Life, however, is not a pain free experience. Sometimes we as parents have to allow our kids to deal with injury and misfortune as a way for them to face their fears and understand their capabilities.

Today I was reminded of an experience my son had that I believe in part has made him a man willing to accept challenges, but more importantly a man who is trusted and relied upon by his colleagues.

I sent my son this text today-

Just got back from 6:30 Mass. Today is the feast day of St. Vincent, who is best remembered for the way he dealt with pain and suffering. I spent the whole mass thinking about the time you hurt your knee in a game for the Bums.
You were a leader on that team and when we took you out, the team lost confidence and was not playing well. Coach Alfred sent you up to hit to try to spark the other players. You hit a ball to the right fielder, but could not run fast and he threw you out. You were disappointed. But Alfred used your AB to inspire the team and they played a lot better the rest of the day.
I know that injury scared you, especially the swelling that came later, but you did your job and tried your best. It was one of many times I was very proud of your efforts.
I learned a lot about you that day. I hope you learned a lot about yourself. You have greatness in you Vince. Call on it when you need it.

This incident happened when my son was around 11 years old. I can’t say that I knew the result would be as positive as it occured.

I remember saying a prayer for him as he made his way to the batters box.

Sometimes you have to leave it in God’s hands.

Familyhttps://carlcasareto.com/family/

I presented the following reflection on Matthew 28: 16-20 at St. Clement’s Church in Chicago this May 22, 2018:

Today’s Gospel reading is one of the shortest of the liturgical year, yet these verses from Matthew touch concepts contemplated by several of our greatest saints over their lifetimes.   In a few short sentences, we are confronted with our Catholic faith’s deepest mysteries and core disciplines.

Restricted both by time and a standing well below saint, I will spend these few minutes scratching the surface from centuries of history concerning two topics:

• the limitations we face as humans, and
• intercessions that allow achievement beyond our individual capacities.
• Read More

I was doing some networking at a charity function recently where a friend graciously described me to a businessman I had not met by saying:

“Carl is creative, aggressive, smart, tough, persistent, and very persuasive.  He is a winner.”

As I reached out to shake the hand of my new acquaintance, I replied: “I’m not sure who the guy fitting that description is, but it would be interesting to meet him.”

As I was returning home that evening, the word “winner” kept flowing through my mind.  I flashed back to a saying I used in early in my career to psyche myself up for business meetings.  “Winners win.”

I’m older now and don’t think like that anymore.  Maturity has changed my focus on winning to exactly what I am trying to win.  Read More

 

Each of us is created with a unique set of gifts.  Identifying how to apply those gifts to their highest and best purpose is a challenge for us all.  Even those of us with the most determined of spirits and mental clarity are exposed to doubts and fears.

John the Baptist was blessed with unique gifts that none of us possess, but there is much for us to learn from the way he used those gifts.  The Baptist fulfilled his purpose in a fearless manner, providing a model of courage we can aspire to emulate as Martin Luther King and Pope John Paul II demonstrated centuries later.  Read More

China will always hold a warm place in my heart, though it did not start out that way.

I remember waiting for my turn through Immigration and Customs the first time arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport.  I was worrying if having the Beatles song “Revolution” on my iPod was going to cause difficulties.  I had the verse “if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain’t gonna to make it with anyone anyhow” nervously streaming through my consciousness- ultimately for no good reason. Read More

 

None of us has a crystal ball.  Our inability to definitively know how our actions will impact the future brings anxiety, hesitation, and doubt.  Ultimately, the ability to leap comes from some element of trust.  Trust your experience, trust your logic, trust your instincts, trust God.  Wouldn’t it be nice to know?

I am here to contend that knowing doesn’t make it any easier.  I will cite two incidents from the Bible in defense of that premise.

Case #1- Moses Read More

 

Most of us have drawers, boxes or closets full of things we no longer use that seemed at the time of purchase to be the greatest thing we ever acquired.  Usually, we get bored, or styles change, or something even more special makes our “can’t live without” acquisition obsolete.  The human appetite for “things” is insatiable because no thing we can acquire can satisfy us indefinitely.  The same can be said for wealth, power, and status.  We reach a point where what we accumulate is not satisfying enough.  Self-indulgence is a never ending quest… “If only there was something more, something new”

Ultimately, most of the people I know who have found contentment and happiness have realized that those feelings are much more about giving than getting.  Finding a higher purpose than self, developing and using our skills to achieve higher aims, creating a legacy that makes the world a better place long after your time has passed.  Having the courage to aim high and developing the discipline and persistence to gain ground are the tried and tested ways to a fulfilling life.

I have found many people in history who demonstrated this path to a life of purpose, but none as motivating to me as St. Benedict. Read More

 

The following is a reflection I had the honor to present at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park on Tuesday, July 18, 2017.

Like many of you, I have had thousands of conversations about religion in my life- perhaps tens of thousands. But today, for the first time in my 58 years, I am asked to lead a reflection for an educated and spiritually developed group of men on a passage from the Bible. I guess there is a first time for everything so- deep breath- here goes.

I had some thoughts on what I wanted to say, but it seemed prudent to find out what could be learned from a more experienced and insightful mind. Thanks to the suggestion of my friend, Paul Link, I decided to begin by searching the homilies of Bishop Robert Baron.

I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Bishop Baron’s focus was very similar to mine. I don’t know if that means “great minds think alike” or “even a blind squirrel finds an acorn on occasion”. In either case, let me begin by sharing some of what the Bishop had to say. Read More