Going Alone

The Good Life Meditation The Good Life Meditation is my daily effort of recounting, considering and developing my personal life objectives and principals. I perform the action of verbally listing and describing these points each day, typically at dawn, as a start and readiness to the coming day. AFFIRMATION OF HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS I must recognize respect and abide the rights of individuals and minority groups within society such that these are not compromised in the pursu

06-28-16 10:31 AM I’m going to buy an old fashioned mercury thermometers to use in tracking my body temp during summertime desert hikes, and keep myself away from the dreaded 104 degrees F. I wonder if that’s been done before? 06-29-16 4:40 PM My work day is done, and it’s time to commute home and strategize Friday’s desert inferno hike. I’ve got a scheme in my head to take on the open desert when the heat isn’t looking. But there’s no room for error, so the plan’s gotta be

There’s a story behind this photo… Emily and I were out this afternoon working the last of the sets rolling in from that big storm that sent giant waves pounding the So. Cal. coast all weekend. For the most part the big waves have passed, and Emily and I were practicing diving under manageable, mid-size waves with occasional large set-waves arriving at rough, ten minute intervals.I’d just finished teaching Emily how to handle the situation surfers call “spin-cycle” which desc

Desert delirium While roasting in the summer heat during a recent hike in the California desert, I found myself thinking of those men and women crossing illegally into America by way of the open desert along the border of the USA and Mexico. People risking their lives in search of work and a better way to provide for their families. I agree with Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and others who maintain that the flow of illegal immigration must stop; not only to prot

I experienced a touching moment today which I’d like to share. There was a shelter at the pet store we visited this morning, offering an assortment of unwanted dogs to anyone lucky enough to accept them. As we entered the store, my family and I noticed a curious-looking large breed dog with stubby little legs happily squeaking a chew toy next to a seated shelter volunteer; an older woman with a kind face, and an obvious abundance of love for vulnerable innocents. The dog made

My desert adventure is over. The heat got to me. And I missed home. So I went home. The takeaway from this short trip was that the thing I sought in the desert wilds during my 20s and 30s was clearly found in the wilds of Japan during my 40s. There’s no more need to keep searching. As doing so feels like continuing looking for my keys after I’ve just placed them in my pocket. The character of softypapa was the personification of a quest which is now complete. There’s no more

The video series My daughter meets Christianity continues to draw comments and email. This week I was asked again if I am atheist or agnostic. I responded that I’m both, which answer seems to require a little explanation. In common usage ‘atheist’ describes a condition of disbelief regarding the claims of deity, while ‘agnostic’ refers to someone who’s still on the fence and not sure if God or Gods are real. While ‘theist’ (or sometimes ‘deist’ for those who think deity simpl

With Hillary Clinton the presumptive Democratic candidate for president in the 2016 race, I think it’s incumbent upon me to research the criticisms against her qualifications in order that I may reach a reasoned conclusion as to her eligibility. Listed below are each of the major objections I tend to hear against Ms. Clinton, along with the opinion I’ve gained as a result of my own investigation of each. Reference sources are cited at the end of the post. Benghazi There shou

Congratulations to my daughter Emily on the completion of your Freshman year of high school. You’ve come so far, so fast, in a new world with a new language, culture and way of life. Both Japan and America are yours now and in the future. And I hope you’ll always have the courage to proceed with any dream, in any land, not n spite of the risks, but in full understanding and acceptance of both the consequence and wonder of choosing to live. From the original archive First publ

My most cherished possession is fast becoming time. The moments now flying by towards a finality so clearly visible on the near horizon. I’d gladly give up all but the most essential possessions to savor just a few more of each day’s precious moments. Bits of irreplaceable time to enjoy in solitary reflection, and to use towards the further development and maintenance of sound life principals and the measured exercise of virtue. Now it’s time to get to work. From the original

I made a point last night of looking my daughter in the eyes and telling her “you too can become president of the United States.” I then went on to explain to her the significance of Hillary Clinton becoming the presumptive nominee for president for a major political party, and coming one step closer to breaking though the glass ceiling weakened by “eighteen million cracks” in 2008. Regardless of what happens in November, the fact that the highest office in the land no longer

I’m looking forward to dinner tonight and our family chat on yesterday’s developments in the presidential primary and other races. It’s interesting to me that the two most avoided topics of polite society – politics and religion – are lately the centerpiece for so many of our family mealtime discussions. #2016politics #BernieSanders #DonaldTrump #HillaryClinton From the original archive First published on softypapa.wordpress.com on June 9, 2016. Original text, photographs, li

It’s interesting how the vegan diet and lifestyle have slowly crept into my life. Unlike the effort I’ve made in these past few years to cut out sugary, processed foods, this vegan thing is less conscious and more a preference borne of the knowledge of how much better I feel as a result. I’m not (yet) vegan, so expect to see exceptions in my diet. Yet I can’t now see how the result won’t soon be complete. From the original archive First published on softypapa.wordpress.com on

The current presidential election is the first for my family since returning to the United States. Our recent dinnertime chats have covered everything from issues to candidates, to media coverage and the process of election. I’ve told my teenage daughter several times that it’s important to know the reasons we support a particular candidate, and to be willing to share our opinions in a public forum, and further willing to weather and listen clearly to any and all criticism of

Emily and her fellow vocal arts students received their Grammy certificates today. This was presented to the students and facility of the music program in recognition of winning the 2016 National Grammy Signature School award. The school also received a real Grammy statue. From the original archive First published on softypapa.wordpress.com on June 7, 2016. Original text, photographs, links, and embedded media preserved. View the original WordPress post

I received an email today from one of Emily’s high school teachers. I thought I’d share the message here for any who may be interested in the process of acclimating young minds to a new culture and language. I’ve noted the same changes myself which Emily’s teacher cites below. An astonishing transformation in just over a year from a hesitant, cautious outsider to a bold and confident American on the verge of becoming a native English speaker. Hi Kurt, I wanted to let you know

It looks like Emily and I got lucky with our extreme temperature encounter yesterday, as today’s high in the same area is only 104 F. I wonder if she and I will ever have that chance again in this lifetime. #desert #heat #extreme From the original archive First published on softypapa.wordpress.com on June 5, 2016. Original text, photographs, links, and embedded media preserved. View the original WordPress post

Emily’s first experience of “TP.” From the original archive The original WordPress post was published without a title. “Untitled” is a neutral display label used for this archive. First published on softypapa.wordpress.com on June 5, 2016. Original text, photographs, links, and embedded media preserved. View the original WordPress post

After only a decade I’ve at last figured out how to link my WordPress account to social media. At this rate I should have Snapchat figured out by the time I’m 60. From the original archive The original WordPress post was published without a title. “Untitled” is a neutral display label used for this archive. First published on softypapa.wordpress.com on June 5, 2016. Original text, photographs, links, and embedded media preserved. View the original WordPress post

Emily learned the F-word around age three, and could use it effectively in a sentence before she started preschool. By then she knew a lot of other bad words too, though she had no idea what any of them meant. I taught these special vocabulary to my daughter each night in the bath. My aim being to prepare her mind to recognize the difference between F-you between friends and F-you which might lead to a fight. Profanity is actually pretty complex stuff, full of nuance and innu