Category Archives: Inspiration

The Road to Diamond, Day 170: Security

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 17, 2025, Grapevine,TX- There are many ways to hack into someone’s computer. It is one reason why I personally have despised the very word “hack”, which just means “shortcut” and is thus a neutral term. Fortunately, no one has hacked my electronic devices, and with the upgrades in security that my CySec adult child implemented today, it is even less likely.

We are each responsible for our own security, once past a certain age. There will always be those loved ones around us who will help some, but essentially from the time one masters “Look both ways before crossing the street” and “Don’t take things from strangers”, personal safety gets a new owner. When I was a child, I never mastered riding a bicycle until I was around thirteen, so I walked-a lot. I never counted my money in public, and was wary of anyone I didn’t know. Besides, walking kept me in good health, especially since I was no one’s idea of a star athlete.

In adulthood, that penchant for walking has translated into a love of hiking. I have done a lot of solo hikes, even in areas that others cringe over. The key there is to get on and off the trail before dark, though I have done some walks by moonlight. Coyotes have warned me that I was going too far afield, and I have heeded their “advice”. Other animals, from cattle to Gila monsters, have communicated with me, on certain trails, and giving them their preferred berth has worked nicely for all concerned. My favourite was the bull elk who bugled at me from the top of a cliff, far above my trail-apparently letting me know to not mess with his cows, which were also on that cliff top.

Technology has, in general, made safety a lot easier. I can certainly find my way around more easily, with its help, while maintaining what I learned about orienteering, in Fifth Grade. Those skills and a genuinely useful intuition, have resulted in my remaining out of harm’s way.

Lastly, I read today about people who have Williams Syndrome, a genetic condition which results in their seeing everyone as an instant friend, without the normative bonding or evidence of the approaching person being worthy of friendship. To be clear, I have regarded many, but not all, of those whom I have encountered over the years as friends, to a certain extent. Acquaintance has seemed like a rather sour term and enemy a rarely deserved sobriquet. I am discerning enough to know that I am not of the Williams Syndrome category, and I do have my clear boundaries.

So, as the most recent road trip nears its last few days, and I return to Home Base I for three months of service, taking stock of security gives me solace. I am being kept safe, on many levels.

The Road to Diamond, Day 169: Lone Star Beacon

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 16, 2024, Grapevine, TX- About thirty minutes after I had checked out of Days Inn, Parsons, TN, I was finishing up breakfast at Patty’s Restaurant, on the Shiloh Road, when the Days manager called. Seems I had left my bamboo tote bag there, so I went back and retrieved it, once the light breakfast was finished.

That was about the only snag between Parsons and Grapevine. That was a good thing, as this leg of the journey was one of the longest. A road worker ran across I-30, as I was nearing Hot Springs, fortunately with a 1/2 mile distance between us and no one behind me. There was a long line of stalled traffic, leaving Texarkana, but a few of us had been routed to a detour that sent us moving right along, until we crossed into Texas and had a relatively short wait to merge into the main line of traffic.

I stopped in little Hooks for gas, and to connect to Google Maps for the last leg to Grapevine, and Home Base II. A small group of people were gathered outside the filling station, discussing events that people just about anywhere might discuss, of a Friday night, exchanging views on what “she” ought to do about the problem “she” was facing. I wish the unidentified lady well. I found that I had another two hours and forty minutes of driving. Going through a fairly lightly traveled part of northeast Texas was not at all difficult. I just made sure that I stayed hydrated, and didn’t need as much caffeine as I once thought necessary, on jaunts like this.

A hard-charging guy came up behind me, at the turn into Home Base II. I just moved a bit to the right and let him go on his way. Some battles are not worth the turmoil. In short order, I was in my little family’s apartment. We discussed a few scenarios that may or may not transpire, between now and year’s end. One thing is certain: We each have the others’ backs.

The Road to Diamond, Day 168: Resilience

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Family, Historical, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 15, 2025, Parsons, TN- In the open garage of a country home, I set the box containing a plant, that was gifted by my hosts in Oley, PA to mutual friends who live about two hours east of here. As I was getting ready to pull out of the circular driveway, one of those friends pulled in on the other side. A joyful hug and fifteen-minute catch-up ensued. I learned that friend’s husband, suffering from a serious disease, is showing signs of resilience. Time will tell if he pulls through, though given his wife’s persistence and determination to treat the disease with natural medicine, it is entirely possible that he will.

My hosts in Oley said that my visits are those of encouragement. That does my heart good, as my energy is geared that way. It always has been my mission in life to help others realize their goals; my own goals, not so much, though being on my own, these past fourteen years, has tempered that self-abnegation, a fair amount. I suppose that is only fair.

I made a brief return visit to Broad Porch Coffee House, the most recent successor to Artful Dodger, the former Harrisonburg cafe where a couple of long-gone friends helped me get my bearings and reclaim my own worthiness as a human being, some twelve years ago. Broad Porch is a busier place than Dodger was, but I get much the same vibe. After a brief breakfast, I was on the way back south. The plant had to be delivered, today, and in one piece.

I checked out downtown Roanoke, a city I have pretty much bypassed on previous drives down the Spine. It, and Staunton, the next town south of Harrisonburg, would be worth a day or two of exploration each, on future backs and forths. From Roanoke, down through Bristol and the out skirts of Knoxville, plant and I continued. In Crossville, we found her new home, and the above conversation took place.

Now, I rest, in the crossroads of Land Between the Lakes and Natchez Trace. Not far from here is Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. As I now have a different mission, getting to my little family’s place in Grapevine, tourism is off the agenda. There’s a lot to do around Parsons, according to a fellow guest who frequents this motel, but I will save that for later, as well.

The bright orange flower and the resilient couple will keep on showing the world that life is ever about bouncing back-God willing and the creek don’t rise.

The Road to Diamond, Day 167: Staying on Track

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 14, 2025, Harrisonburg, VA- “Oley” the collie wanted my breakfast sausage links. She went without, though. Those are not puppy food, the tantalizing scent aside. My hosts in the town of Oley made sure that I was prepared for either game plan: Drive to Arlington National Cemetery, then down to the town of Deltaville, on Virginia’s Western Shore. The other plan was to stick to my tried and true drive, along I-81.

In the end, there was no visit to Arlington, or a stop at a Western Shore marina. There wasn’t any stop at Broad Porch Coffee-the old Artful Dodger, but that will be tomorrow morning. What did happen was a fair amount of rain, between Woodstock and New Market, along Virginia’s spine (I-81). There was also Gallery Diner, a Red Cross Microsoft Teams meeting and a few moments of relaxation, before two long travel days ahead.

I am watching Deltaville online, because of a dam there, which may breech. I am watching Greer and Eagar, AZ, two mountain communities that are under threat from an active wildfire. I am learning the process of sending a gift online, via a U.S. company, to someone across the Pacific. Ahead, lie a friend who is deathly ill, and who I hope to see tomorrow, and my little family, who are both hard at work, but will be off for the weekend, and my two-day visit.

There is a lot to track, but there always is, whether on the road or at Home Base. I am grateful for being able to stay…on track.

The Road to Diamond, Day 166: Preferences

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Posted by on in Community, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 13, 2025, Oley, PA- I was asked whether I prefer one family member over another, one generation over the others and, for that matter, one nationality of people over the rest. Basically, I do not indulge in any of that.

In terms of what the U.S. Vice President said, not long ago, about the rank order or priority of love that a person can show, there is something of a natural order by which one shows love. This, to me, is the truncated pyramid or perhaps the high rise structure, or even just a continuum, of caring and affection that I feel. Of course, I tend to myself and my own needs first, so that others don’t have to. My son, daughter-in-law and, in time, grandchild(ren) come next. My siblings and extended biological family follow, and on it goes through community, state and nation. The rest of humanity is hardly left out, though-dear friends live in several countries around the world.

I was asked whether I would have to choose one set of relationships over another. Each of the people involved know that I would not exclude them for the sake of those in another set. I have to divide my physical time as equally as possible, and there are tools for that. The use of technology makes such things much easier than they would have been say, even ten years ago. Being able to be in one place and deal equitably with people who are elsewhere is a godsend. I was able to sit here in a friend’s house, this afternoon, and meet with other friends in Arizona. I can send a birthday gift to a dear friend in the Philippines, without too much trouble, from the comfort of any given locus in the U.S.

Most important to keeping equity in relationships though, is deferred attention-and transparency. Those who have high emotional needs can be made to feel understood and comforted, without my having to give them day-long, or hours-long attention, to the detriment of on what else and who else I need to focus. Being able to meet individually with family pr friends helps to strengthen my bond with them, and underscores that they are important to me, in and of themselves.

These thoughts come to mind, as I sit contentedly in an old country kitchen.

The Road to Diamond, Day 165: Kosher

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Posted by on in collaborating, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 12, 2025, Exton, PA- I stopped at a “New York-style” restaurant, in Vernon, CT, while en route from Saugus to this western Philadelphia suburb that is a third anchor for my sibling family. The place was beyond packed, almost reminding me of the old Jack and Marion’s, in Boston. This was the first place I’ve been in a long while, where the lunch line was practically out the door. I took my Reuben sandwich to go, and enjoyed half in the car. The rest will be tomorrow’s lunch.

Urban delicatessens, especially New York and Chicago styles, are centered primarily on kosher, or traditional Jewish foods. The quality of the meats and cheeses has an appeal far beyond those adhering to the dietary instructions of Judaism. Kosher has come to mean correct, present with integrity, “doing what you say”.

We live in a very precise age, and the slightest slip-up can bring down a host of criticism, some of it well-intended, other meant to make the critic feel better about self, by focusing on a flawed other. I have learned that indulging in criticism, however, will invariably bring the “three fingers pointing back at you” of Hindu lore. Being truly “kosher”, in one’s daily life, is best served by being the one finger that points at self, and doing the requisite self-examination.

I ended the day by visiting with my middle sibling and his wife, for a short time, over dinner here in Exton. Thus, all three of my visits with siblings were pleasant, with meals as backdrops. The next few days will focus on friends. My relationships with all are “kosher”.

The Road to Diamond, Day 164: Mothers

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Entertainment, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 11, 2025, Saugus, MA- In the end, my plan to take the rocking chair left by my mother when she passed away last year ended up a bust. The structure of Sportage was the main issue-the bar supporting the back storage privacy screen cannot be removed. It is a design flaw of the 2020 models, and is generally not an issue. It was, this time, but the chair is in good hands.

I spent a few minutes graveside this morning, then joined my brother and sister-in-law for a Mother’s Day lunch. It was held at a steak house, which Mom would have enjoyed. Some traditions continue and others are newly established. I like to think the steak house lunch is a bit of both. Time was that Hilltop Steak House was the place to go. It closed and was re-developed into a mixed use collection of residences and small shops. Across the highway, though, is Jimmy’s Steer House, an equally fine establishment. That was our lunch venue today.

After three days of rain, the skies were clear and it was shirtsleeve weather. This was fitting for honouring the people who have kept the human race going, for at least a million years. The first woman was probably not called Eve; she may not even have had a name. Language would have come well after human consciousness arose. The maternal instinct, though, has been passed up from some fairly simple animals to us, the highest form of earthly life.

I have recently been told that, in a certain person’s view, everything that I am today is because of the government. The state has little to do with who I am, though. That honour goes quite strongly to my parents, especially to Mom, who did so much for the five of us. Without her roadmaps and admonitions, my father’s work of keeping a roof over our heads and food on the table would have been next to impossible. It is because of her that “adulting”, for me, is less of a burden, and is in fact a joy.

I will leave this hometown of mine tomorrow, heading first to Pennsylvania to family and friends there, then on to Virginia and Tennessee for brief visits with other friends and to Texas, for a few days with my little family. Mom’s spirit will stay with me, as will Penny’s, and each leg of the journey ahead will be safe.

Safety and guidance are the pillars of a mother’s love.

The Road to Diamond, Day 163: America’s Stonehenge

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 10, 2025, Salem, NH- About a month ago, Hiking Buddy and I were talking about the petroglyphs of Williamson Valley. She mentioned about the existence of a site in southern New Hampshire where documented pre-Columbian standing stones, with some verified inscriptions of Celtic and possibly Phoenician origin had been found. I know there have been similar sites in Minnesota that have been investigated and debunked, but this one had more of a ring of truth to it. I made a promise to myself to check out the site that was once called Mystery Hill.

Today brought that chance, and after enjoying lunch with my sister and brother-in-law, I headed up I-495, to New England’s other Salem. The town was a staple of my childhood, with visits to my mother’s sister and her family, and an annual summer gathering at Canobie Lake Park. I stopped briefly at the north end of the lake, which is a water supply for the area. Fishing is plentiful, but as one might guess, swimming is not allowed. We mainly picnicked and enjoyed the small amusement park.

Salem, NH
North side of reservoir, Canobie Lake, Salem, NH

America’s Stonehenge, as Mystery Hill is now called, was a gathering site for Pawtucket First Nations people, themselves a branch of the Penacook Confederacy, which held sway across a wide swath of New Hampshire, Vermont, northern Massachusetts and western Maine, for hundreds of years before European settlement. The Pawtuckets themselves lived in an area from what is now Fitchburg (north central Massachusetts) to Saugus and Lynn, on the Atlantic Coast. Their central community was at what is now Lowell.

Pawtuckets
Pawtucket First Nation history

The area itself was farmed by the Pattee family, from the late Eighteenth Century until around 1900. Seth Pattee attempted to turn the property into a quarry for building stone, around the time of the Civil War. His son ended that practice and worked to preserve the area, having gleaned its cultural and historical heritage. This preservation began in earnest, with the research of William Goodwin, in the 1930s. When Robert Stone took over the property in 1958, he and his son, Dennis, saw the value in enlisting public support. The Stone family has been working hard, since 1958, to increase public awareness of the connections between peoples on both sides of the Atlantic, and that these connections are likely much older than is customarily believed.

The site seems to have been used as a ceremonial area, for marking major yearly astronomical events, such as the Solstices and Equinoxes. These seem to have been marked in a manner more customary for the Celtic peoples of western Europe than for early First Nations peoples of the Americas, and their predecessors. This suggests that there was, at minimum, regular contact between people on both sides of the Atlantic, as far back as 4,000 years ago.

I took several video clips of the trail. Unfortunately, these are too large for the Word Press format, so here are some still photos that accompanied the videos.

EW Chamber
East-West Chamber, also called Gallery Grave. This is similar to Celtic structures in Ireland and Brittany.
Small chamber
Outdoor stone table, with a small chamber perhaps used as a storage area.
Eye Rock
This rock, with a faded “eye” , was intended most likely as a watch talisman.

I will continue to look into sharing the video clips via this blog site. In the meantime, here are some resources by which you may learn about this unique site, and its archeo-astronomical importance.

America’s Stonehenge: Souvenir Book Paperback – October 1, 2018

by Dennis Stone (Author), Katherine Stone (Editor), & 1 more

America B.C.: Ancient Settlers in the New World, Revised Edition Paperback – June 1, 1989

by Barry Fell (Author)

The Road to Diamond, Day 161: The Long Repair Job

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Inspiration, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 8, 2025, Williamsport, PA- From the time I got onto I-80, in Mishawaka to the time I left the road, at the junction with U.S. 15, fifteen miles south of this headquarters city for Little League Baseball, there was virtually nonstop road construction. It resulted in closed lanes, almost every 15-20 miles or so, for a length of 2-3 miles for each segment.

I am told this is one of the major projects that is being funded by Build Back Better, the program that some say is a “left-wing, Green New Deal” boondoggle. Note that this work is focused on shoring up the concrete median, between eastbound and westbound lanes of the Interstate Highway, and fixing guardrails. While it was initiated by Progressives, a better roadway system is in the best interests of anyone who drives, both commercial and recreational. Stopping the work now, or even soon, would not save much, if anything, and would leave remaining fixes undone. While it is inconvenient for those of us driving now, it is best to get the work done before schools let out and families hit the road.

Most of the day was highway-bound. I came upon Ridgeway Inn, just south of downtown Williamsport, around 8 :30 pm. This lovely little motel is managed remotely, but apparently by someone who is close enough that major issues could be addressed readily. Williamsport itself is a clean and, in places, somewhat upscale community, with a strong tourist base that derives from its association with Little League Baseball. Several years ago, one of my nephews was on Saugus, MA’s Little League championship team, which faced against a team from Japan, in the Little League World Series. The Japanese boys won, but Saugus has named a public athletic field as World Series Field. It’s right across a lea from my boyhood home.

For this, and the general ambiance of the city, Willliamsport is another Pennsylvania city that has a place in my heart-along with Bedford, Wilkes-Barre, Exton, Oley and Clarion, to say nothing of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and York.

The Road to Diamond, Day 156: Heroes, Super and Otherwise

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

May 3, 2025, Phoenix- The comforter on the bed I am borrowing for the evening is Superhero-themed. I am now safe from anything that could threaten the well-being of a six-year-old boy. Since he’s away, this seventy-four-year-old, overgrown kid can expect the same. Monsters and villains, be gone!

Heroes, in real life, come in many shapes, sizes and guises. The people who seem to stand in our way, and keep us from what what we think we might want, will sometimes turn out to be our best friends-and unlikely heroes in our lives. Remember the tale of Majnoon, searching for his beloved Layli (Layla, of the Eric Clapton song). His path was blocked by one or another watchman, until he vaulted himself over a wall-and found her looking fr a ring she had lost.

Heroes can be full of bravado, or they can be ordinary people (as in the Dave Grohl song). They can be constantly in action, in the limelight or just be around-for one day (as in the David Bowie song). Yes, we have been celebrating our deliverers and saviors from time immemorial. From the Epic of Gilgamesh, to the Iliad and Odyssey, the Tales of Hiawatha, Icelandic sagas and stories of the Samurai, all the way to the Marvel and DC characters, we derive much comfort in the idea that someone has our backs.

It is best, though, that we are our own, and one another’s champions. Acting in the interests of each person in our world-starting with ourselves, but not stopping there, can be challenging. The alternative, though, is to let someone else determine the entirety of our existence. That may seem easier, but recall the fates of those who acquiesced to tyrants, throughout history. Were they happier, in the fullness of time? Were their needs met?

Today, in conference with many of my fellow Baha’is, at the Center where Penny and I spent many happy hours, in the often troubled 2000s, I was reminded that “heroism” is hard work and that it is often not intentional, but the result of just putting oneself out there, on behalf of humanity-and of all creation. It most often involves teamwork, and always involves discernment and fortitude.

After our long day of consultation, my host and I joined several old friends, and many youth, in honouring a hard-working college graduate. It was a joy to see people I haven’t seen in fifteen years and to witness how several of them have grown from childhood and become successful adults, in various fields.

Heroes-some of them “super” come in all forms.