(c) Gary R. Jones If life were easy we wouldn’t get stuck. Or laugh. It’s all in our perspective. Which reminds me of the bald eagles who share our beach with us. I love these birds, and I sometimes think it would fun to be one. And then I think: “raw fish.” Eww. Yes, […]
inspiration
Getting Unstuck with Bald Eagles
What inspires you to keep going, no matter what? Is it an admirable person? A dynamic leader? A work of art? Bald eagles inspire me. Watching them in my Seattle neighborhood reminds me to keep going, no matter what. Yes, bald eagles. Why do I write about nonhuman mentors? Because my business is about challenging […]
My Dog Is Dying: The Real Life Crappy Choice Diary, Entry 1
The lure of immortality dances through our lives, weaving delicate patterns that tease us with the possibility. To live forever. And then, of course, we don’t. Honestly, I never expected to live forever. You’re born, crap happens, fun happens, you die. Nope, I never expected to live forever, and I didn’t, either: last February I […]
Choosing Our Way in the New Economy
He didn’t mean to make me smile. He had been loitering by my shopping cart. We were both stocking up on office supplies. I was, as usual, simply exhausted by the choices. Wouldn’t life be easier if we didn’t have so much to choose from? Think about it. I do. A lot. Even choosing a […]
Living on the Planet of Awesome and Forever
I live on the Planet of Awesome and Forever. I have proof. Sometimes my planet is real and physical: I revel in the sun and rain, the dark and stormy, the people and the beings who make me laugh and think while challenging me to be my best, no matter what. Always my planet is […]
How an Eagle Kachina Accidentally Helped Build a Community
My mom loved Southwest art. My dad loved my mom. I loved them. When the eagle kachina dropped into our lives, I was greedily snatching as much time with them as I could, building memories. One day my dad called and said he’d found an art piece for mom. “Not like yours,” he said wryly. […]
Soaring into Spring with the Bald Eagles of Alki
I am constantly blessed to witness the love of art and artistic genius in the world, especially when it’s literally in my back yard.And to bring it to the world as best I can. It is all part of building community. My neighbor and friend, Danny L. McMillin, is an athlete, a computer expert, a […]
The Guardians of Alki
Yes, I talk with gardens and the beings who look out for them: where I live, I call them the Guardians of Alki, because Alki Beach is our neighborhood, and the names the guardians have historically been assigned are mean and scary and not worthy of us or them. Besides, at the time it didn’t […]
Co-incidence and Community: How A Dog, Three Women, and a Book Saved a Life
Sometimes we wonder if we’ve done the right thing in life. Sometimes we get lucky and know we did, even though we were just trying to get by. Sometimes that story co-incidentally defines another, which is what building community is all about. This is the story of how a chronically ill dog saved another dog […]
Sinking or Swimming While Writing Your Book
The hardest book I’ve ever done? My own. No kidding. Not even the analytical, skeptical, intuitive, optimistic cynic in me saw that one coming. In all the years I’ve written and worked with other authors, nurtured them through the writing and publishing process, never have I had so much trouble! I astonished myself with the […]