The Unclad Soul

In the movie, “The Adjustment Bureau,” ambitious politician David Norris (played by Matt Damon) and rising star ballerina Elise Sellas (played by Emily Blunt), fall in love. All is well until their romance is abruptly interrupted by mysterious forces. The Adjustment Bureau is a team of men in dark suits and felt hats who pull various maneuvers in an attempt to keep the couple apart. For reasons we’re not clear about, the Chairman (God?) of the Bureau (Heaven/Eternity?) sees trouble with this relationship. It does not fit into his “plan” for either of them. After a series of odd and sometimes dangerous situations, David Norris, in a clandestine meeting arranged by the Bureau, is confronted by a dignified man in a suit and hat named Thompson who is some sort of senior advisor to the Chairman. He has a serious discussion with Norris in which Norris is told in no uncertain terms that he is to no longer see Elise. Or else his memory will be erased and he’ll be, well, a blank sl...

“We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may not ever need to go there.”  ~ Edward Abbey, Environmentalist/Author

I lost a friend last week. Her name was Angi Jenkins. Only 46 years old, her life ended after a lifetime of battling cystic fibrosis. I knew Angi during my years in Hamilton, Texas. She moved to Dallas not long before I did. We reconnected here and then we became Facebook friends. She was often in and out the hospital dealing with serious health issues related to the CF. I dropped in on her unexpectedly one afternoon when she was having to stay at Baylor Hospital for several days. She apologized for not looking her best, but anyone who knew Angi knew it was impossible for her not to look her best. She had a luminous smile, a glowing spirit, and a bighearted presence that simply chased away any of the dark clouds that surrounded her illness. She dealt with her situation with gifted humor, beautiful poise, amazing courage, incredible love and faith. In these past days Saint Paul’s comment in his letter to the Philippians comes to mind: “I thank God every time I think of you....

There is no disputing that Donald Trump is a skilled manipulator. But I realize now he pales in comparison to the crass manipulation created by the Hillary Clinton campaign and those who put together the Democratic Convention last week in Philadelphia. They went over the top in trying to pull every imaginable emotion out of delegates and viewers. From using disabled individuals giving the Pledge of Allegiance, singing the National Anthem , and speaking in support of HRC, to the Muslim parents of the US soldier who was killed in Afghanistan, it was a carefully scripted attempt at psychological mind play. The Khan family, whose son was killed 12 years ago in Afghanistan, was brought on stage to simply insult Trump and to get people angry and to move them emotionally in sorrow over the tragic loss of their son. It worked. Most people remain outraged over Donald Trump’s response but very few seem to notice how manipulative this stunt was by the Clinton campaign. The Khans themselv...

I have spent my life supporting the police and law enforcement. They have an often dangerous job to perform, and the truly good cops are too often unappreciated or taken for granted for service they provide day in and day out. But if you have never been confronted with an aggressive or bullying cop then you don’t understand the emotions of that from those who have. A couple of years ago I went into a Subway sandwich shop in downtown Dallas to pick up lunch. I parked on the street in an area right in front of the shop. Inside, two street cops were eating at a table near the entrance. One was an older guy with a three-day beard. He looked tired and his uniform seemed to hang on him. The other was a younger guy who looked fit and healthy. The place was jammed with customers. As I walked in the older cop blurted out, “You’re illegally parked and you know it!” Everyone stopped talking and looked at me. I said, “I’m sorry but I’m not in an illegal zone. May I show you?” He glared at...

“Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary.   A houseboat in Kashmir, a view down Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, a gray gothic farmhouse two stories high at the end of a red dog road in the Allegheny Mountains, a cabin on the shore of a blue lake in spruce and fir country, a greasy alley near the Hoboken waterfront, or even, possibly, for those of a less demanding sensibility, the world to be seen from a comfortable apartment high in the tender, velvety smog of Manhattan, Chicago, Paris, Tokyo, Rio, or Rome —   there's no limit to the human capacity for the homing sentiment.” ~ Edward Abbey, Environmentalist/Author

I didn’t listen to any news last night. I was on Netflix enjoying a reprieve from the daily chaos. It was this morning that I saw on the news the horror that took place in France last night. What has happened to the human race? I think of Emerson’s sad line, “Man is a god in ruins.” The political pundits are already stirring the pot, pumping politicians for outrageous comments. The politicians are well into their war talk threatening more violence for violence. The security experts are calling for even more surveillance, defense measures, and limitations on the movements of people. But no one seems to be talking about the root of the problem. We can build up defenses and create all kinds of temporary and permanent protections, and those are certainly needed. But what are we going to do about the ideology behind those who have lost any sense of human value? What do we do with dispossessed, angry, psychologically and physically damaged people who don’t care about anyone or a...