Writing from the Heart with Brian
Think, Laugh, & Cry Each Day
In Henry David Thoreau's masterpiece of American Literature, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, he famously wrote that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” settling for conformity, materialism, and unfulfilled routines. I’m not sure why, but the line has been echoing throughout my thoughts like a song you can’t get out of... Continue Reading →
When a sudden case of hoarseness left me unable to talk back, my wife decided to have an absolute ball at my expense. Here is what happens when you lose your voice in a marriage.
Watching my father turn rough wood into detailed sculptures with a pocketknife taught me the art of patience. I never mastered his sharp tools, but I found my own chisel in the pen—carving out words to find my voice and build my world.
I wasn't looking for hope, but I found it. I was thinking a couple weekends ago about a new adventure that I've found myself on. I was thinking about both rapid and calm waters. Of course, I was in my own head analyzing every action and inaction a million times over. An AI image of... Continue Reading →
I know I'm good, but I didn't realize that I had psychic powers. I wrote in April about how I was inspired by the deep friendship between tennis greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. I didn't know at the time that Netflix was working on a new documentary on the two. The documentary Chris & Martina:... Continue Reading →
(A version of this story first appeared on January 4, 2023 on The Heart of the Matter.) I learned about death the hard way. One day in the early 1970s, my mom picked me up from the neighbor lady who watched me during the day. When we got home, she told me that Shep, our... Continue Reading →
I fell. I got up and fell again. I got up and tried again, this time falling a third time. When I wanted to stay down, I was reminded that there's always hope. I gave it another shot and this time it worked. Here's to second, third, and fourth attempts and to keeping faith that... Continue Reading →
I was walking through a long tunnel. It seemed to go on for miles. When I looked up, I noticed a light -- a bright, sparkling white light. As I made my way, people reached out to shake my hand and greet me with smiles. I'm not sure how long I was there. At one... Continue Reading →
If things were up to me, Earth would stop spinning on its axis today. Life as we know it would take a timeout. No school. No work. I'm not asking for a complete shutdown—nothing like that. Instead, I want the world and all its crazy passengers to take a short time-out. We often have an... Continue Reading →
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