To me, being martial is seeing what needs to be done and taking action.  This sounds easier than it is because the sort of seeing I’m talking about comes from a place of clarity, not clouded by ego, personality, prejudices, etc.  It is not what I think needs to be done, but what needs to be done.

It has been a year of grief for Patti and me. In January, Patti’s sister Barbie died from breast cancer at the young age of forty seven. Then our cat, Hissy Fit was run over by a car. Finally one summer night as I put out the trash, our wonderful dog, Daisy was killed by a hit and run driver.  They were all so young and it seemed out of order.

What does it mean to be Free? Really Free. Over a few drinks one night, I asked a friend this question and he said, “To be able to do whatever I want.”

Although I moved away from Bucks County, you all are my brothers and sisters whom I have not left. In the neighborhood of our hearts you are right around the corner. Distance and time between us will always be naught.

One of the first things you discover when you are born is that your parents are more competent than you are. They can walk, talk and generally take care of themselves with apparent ease. To some degree, this relative ineptitude continues throughout childhood.