A Journey Through the Past Into the Black River Watershed

Have you ever felt in your gut that you were standing at a crossroads and making a choice that would change your life forever?

#misspentyouth #memoir #BlackRiver #ElephantRocks #Missouri #OldMills #springs #reminiscence #shut-ins #JohnsonsShutins

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Don't Be the Patriarchy As if I were being given a parting lesson from the patriarchy on how not to behave in retirement, I had an encounter with an older gent in my final weeks of employment that should last me a lifetime!

"We may think our hard-earned knowledge is indispensable. However, it’s probably not."

#patriarchy #hierarchy #oldboynetwork #retirement #intentionality #passthetorch

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Otium Intentionalis (@markrobertfrank) Authentic Connection to the Earth I’m not a master gardener or forager by any stretch of the imagination. Nonetheless, I find few things more satisfying than making a meal of ingredients I’ve either ...

"[E]ven the baby steps I’ve taken toward learning how the earth can sustain us makes me feel more whole."

#authenticity #foraging #health #wellness #sustainability #spring

substack.com/profile/4023...

Should You Stay, or Should You Go? You Should Probably Go

Thoughts on retirement and the patriarchy. Oh, and Zen also...

#retirement #patriarchy #Zen #Uchiyama #Sawaki

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Retreat and Reconciliation: Zen Meets Itself Again is a personal account of returning to community Zen practice after time spent away.

markrobertfrank.substack.com/p/retreat-an...

#retreat #sesshin #sangha #community #reconciliation #Zen #Uchiyama #Antaiji #Manjushri #bodhisattva #meditation

Two Retirement Paths. Flavors of authenticity.

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#retirement #authenticity #leisure #career #ego #self

Karma We Can See Karma need not always be an impenetrable mystery. Sometimes it is as clear as the nose on our face.

Yes, karma is often an impenetrable mystery. Often enough, though, it is there for us to see with our very own eyes.

#karma #intention #awareness #mindfulness #nationalkarma #caninebehavior

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2026/03/karm...

St. Enoch’s Stone House Waystation of Epiphany

St. Enoch’s Stone House
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A poem of solitude, awakening, grief, discovery, and meaning.

#poetry #solitude #contemplation #Zen #Christianity #meditation #prayer #God #Dharmakaya #awakening #epiphany #spiritualgrowth #spirituality

Though we may use different languages to describe something, that doesn't mean we're speaking of different things.

#Zen #Buddhism #Christianity #meditation #zazen #prayer #contemplation #contemplativeprayer #centeringprayer #Merton #ThomasMerton #interfaith #emptiness #Dharmakaya #God #Buddha

In and With A Relationship Like No Other

Meditation from the perspectives of the two great faith traditions of my life, Zen and Christianity. Previous articles and notes are related.

#meditation #prayer #contemplation #Zen #Christianity #Gethsemani #Buddha #Dharmakaya #God #Christ

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Retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani A Reconciliation of Two Great Faith Traditions

I didn't expect retreat last week at the Abbey of Gethsemani to turn into a reconciliation of the two faith traditions of my life: Zen and Christianity.

#Gethsemani #Trappist #Christianity #Zen #prayingthehours #LiturgyofHours #retreat #meditation #reconciliation

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Threading the Needle of Authenticity I stated in a recent note that I don’t feel authentic when I simply buy something new to replace what could be mended easily enough.

How do we know what authentic behavior is? What criteria shall we use?

#authenticity #sewing #rakusu #zen #simplicity

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Age and Power A blog about Zen, Buddhism, mindfulness, spirituality, art, science, and psychology.

Age and Power

#age #aging #power #protest #Pretti #ICE #BLM

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2026/02/age-...

Retirement, Karma, and Authenticity “Don’t go wishing your life away!” I can still hear my mother saying those words whenever I’d lament that I wished it were Saturday or summer vacation already.

The journey toward authenticity can be a long one, but it can help to know how we got where we are.

#karma #authenticity #retirement #fullfunctioning

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A Retirement Prayer of Intention Today is my first full day of retirement.

A Retirement Prayer of Intention

#prayer #intention #retirement #gratitude #bodhisattva

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Positive Thoughts on Growing Older Growing older thrusts mental and physical limitations upon us when we least expect it.

Here's my latest Otium Intentionalis post. Let me say up front that I'm loathe to exhibit toxic positivity. However, I do have a couple of positive things to say about a recent health issue!
#aging #retirement #running #walking #meditating #zazen #cats #positivity

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Faulty Logic, Lies, Hypocrisy, Hatred, and Schadenfreude: The Toxic Stew Simmering in the Wake of Renee Good’s Murder ICE's killing of Renee Good has laid bare our nation's soul, and it's not a pretty sight.

A lament for the dark soul of our nation.

#NicoleGood #ICE #Minneapolis #SanctionedMurder #JustWorld #lies #hypocrisy #hatred #schadenfreude

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2026/01/faul...

Discernment and Living Into Retirement When Intention Is Not so Clear

Are we called to do something positive and necessary or is it our ego talking? Do we want to feel righteous and special, esteemed for our bravery or charity? How often do we fool ourselves in such ways?

#discernment #intention #mindfulness #retirement #otium

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Introducing Otium Intentionalis Preparing for an Intentional Retirement

Check out the first post of my new Substack! It’s not just for those approaching retirement.

#otium #retirement #mindfulness #intention #authenticity #spirituality

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Coming Soon: Otium Intentionalis

Coming soon: Otium Intentionalis (Intentional Retirement)

#otium #intentional #retirement #authenticity

The Power of Words Words can constrain us if we mistake them for reality.

Words can constrain us if we mistake them for reality.

#power #healing #liberation #Zen

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...

Power, Wisdom, and Will What is the relationship between power, wisdom, and will? Why is there such a dearth of truly wise leadership?

What is the relationship between power, wisdom, and will? Why is there such a dearth of truly wise leadership?

#power #wisdom #will #authoritarianism #NoKings #Project2025 #BLM #TankMan

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/11/powe...

The Power of Lies Lies are destructive. How do we keep them from darkening our hearts?

Lies are destructive. How do we keep them from darkening our hearts?

#lies #truth #factcheck #propaganda #biglie #tribalthinking

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

The Power of Evil When we believe that evil is a supernatural force, we give it undue power over us, we prolong its existence, and we exacerbate its impact.

Evil only has the power we give it.

#evil #morality #ignorance #dukkha #authoritarianism #communication #understanding

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

The Power of an Open Mind Deferring judgment keeps our minds open and flexible, fostering deeper and more productive thought rather than reflexive and conditioned responses.

Deferring judgment keeps our minds open and flexible, fostering deeper and more productive thought rather than reflexive and conditioned responses.

#ICE #shooting #violence #politics #RadicalLeft #RadicalRight #OpenMind #speculation #chaos #conspiracy

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

Power and the Hypocritical Demand for Civility Without truthfulness about the fundamental facts of political violence, civility and peace, will continue to be elusive.

Without truthfulness about the fundamental facts of political violence, civility and peace will continue to be elusive.

#power #politics #violence #leftwing #rightwing #radical #antifa #CatoInstitute #Cato #Charlie #Kirk #CharlieKirk #truth #civility

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/09/powe...

Our Snake Pit of Views Even as I love it, I must recognize that our country is sick with a culture of ignorance, delusion, cruelty, and violence.

Even as I love it, I must recognize that our country is sick with a culture of ignorance, delusion, cruelty, and violence.

#power #violence #conflict #tribalism #worldview #science #myth #understanding #conversation #CharlieKirk #Charlie #Kirk

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/09/our-...

The Power of Laughter Pros and cons of politically oriented humor in an age of authoritarianism.

The pros and cons of using political humor to resist the rise of authoritarianism.

#humor #comedy #politics #power #resistance #authoritarianism #Nazism #Judaism #privilege #shame

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-...

“If we remain focused on those things we can actually accomplish, and which can make a meaningful difference, the outrage of the day will not be so debilitating.”

#authoritarianism #wellbeing #peace #joy #doomscrolling #outrage

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/08/main...

It is Incumbent on the Powerful It is incumbent on the powerful to have a holistic view of the world and the problems humankind has created.

If those of us with power and privilege want peace, it is incumbent on us to understand the reasons for its absence.

#peace #power #privilege #understanding #holistic #compassion #ThichNhatHanh #prejudice #fear

crossingnebraska.blogspot.com/2025/08/it-i...