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Physician, Heal Thyself
Thirty years ago, I fell into a high-walled Toxic River A, from which there seems to be no escape.
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Isle Royale, Part 1: Into the Wilderness
A traveler may dare to enter the wilderness of Isle Royale in the heart of Lake Superior. If he survives his journey—the unforgiving rock, the sudden storms, the warring beasts, and the haunting isolation—he may exit the land and return to his former life. But a piece of him will remain.
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Pearls, Shiny Objects, and Mnemonics
Black envelope . . . hmm. Rounded, with no corners. No flaps, no stamp, and no return address. TAT, my initials, inscribed with silver lettering. Weird.
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Friends, Family, and Freedom
My younger brother, Chad, my workout buddy Corey, and I all camped under the stars last weekend in Decatur, Michigan. By the campfire, I wondered aloud, as all our ancestors must have done before. Who are we in this vast universe?
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Finding a Lump
If the funeral director gave you ten dots—just ten—to distribute on the timeline of your life—to demarcate the key moments of your existence—where would you place your dots?
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Crossing the Centuries
One patient, World War II veteran Hobert F. Allen, brought blazing light into my deep darkness. Just days before he died, he gave me this 8.5 x 11 black-and-white photo.
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Anti-Fragility
When unexpected hardship strikes us like a hammer, do we gain strength? When we lose an eye, can our ear more than compensate? When we lose a family member far too young, can we gain fortitude, as if we were preparing for greater disasters yet to come?
