Making an Oak Tree

Respect, honor and small towns.

I grew up in the suburbs. A place of perpetual activity. Of Hurry. Of worry. Of 5 soccer games on the weekend, piano lessons and orthodontics. A place where there is very little time to sit and think about…well…anything.

When it’s okay to be sad….

I’m a positive guy.

Ask 10 people who know me to describe me, and you’ll almost certainly hear the word “positive” at some point. I’m a cheerleader, the kind of “rah-rah” guy you probably like when you need a pick-me-up, but who may annoy you in a…

The Luthier’s Purpose

For over two years I had pined for it, asked for it, and maybe even begged for it, so when my parents gave me a guitar for my 21st birthday, I couldn’t have been happier. I remember gently removing it from its case and admiring its beauty. The grain of the wood, the smooth feel of the neck…

Target fixation can be dangerous…or perfect.

I love motorcycling.

It’s a love that came to me later in life. My brother (pictured) has always loved motorsports — boats, cars, jet-skis, and mostly, motorcycles. It took a long time to rein me in, but I finally caught the…

Reflections on reflection.

Earlier this week I spent a peaceful morning at a gorgeous state park not far from my house. The turmoil in my oversaturated life was in stark contrast to my surroundings, which were reminiscent of Thoreau’s Walden Pond. As I slowly walked through the woods, I could feel my stress…

Math, music and people.

12 tones, mathematically precise.

When Johann Sebastian Bach first composed The Well Tempered Clavier, he had no idea the influence these works would have. By establishing tuning requirements for each note, he made it possible for compositions to be played in a…

A prayer?

It didn’t take long to write, but it expressed my heart perfectly.

Recently, as part of an exercise, I was asked to write out a prayer. The facilitator wanted us to be thoughtful…writing our prayers as did the psalmists and ancient believers. Here was my entry:

George Washington and Tim Tebow…Really??

I love historical biographies.

John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and others have SO much they can teach us. We can learn from their breathtaking successes and their stunning defeats. We can learn from their brilliant…