I Dare You Scaredy-Cats
by Snake Bloomstrand My early civic education began with the transfer from Elementary School to Junior High. Although we were young boys, a darker side of humanity began to flex its muscles. The majority of us were 11-14 and floating in a physical, biological and emotional stew we didn’t understand but were eager to taste. “I dare you” became a common challenge sorting out the courageous from the “Scaredy-Cats.” I dare you, was often...
The Armor That Sinks Men
Guest post by Snake Bloomstrand I accidentally discovered armor when my Father died. I’d been unaware until a confrontation with a neighbor revealed how guarded I’d become. She’d learned of my Father’s death and asked, “How are you?” “Fine,” I replied. “Fine?” She asked, “How can you be fine? Your Father just died.” The skepticism reflected in her eyes caused me to doubt myself and wonder if I was missing something. Her question...
The Blue Flame of Anger
In my world anger is expensive fuel. Despite its extraordinary cost anger is expedient when compressed and used sparingly with discretion. Caution! Storage is problematic. Anger expands when contained and pressure relief is critical. Increased levels of compression can be explosive. The popular myth that anger must be suppressed or “managed” needs serious rewriting. This strategy if adhered to rigidly can lead to toxic levels of...
The Time Stamp
I turn 65 this summer, if not a convenient act certainly symbolic. A life of high drama is running its final lap and the flowers in my garden are a constant reminder all living things have a season. My work has taken me into the townships of South Africa and behind the walls of maximum-security prisons. I’ve had the privilege of peering deep within the souls of the world’s elite military and challenged corporate giants at their own...
PTSD: ‘After multiple combat deployments I had no idea what I felt.’
— Caught by surprise the Green Beret sitting across from me grasped that all his elite training hadn’t prepared him to confront his interior landscape. “I’m master of the outer terrain, now I discover an unfamiliar interior terrain?” His stunned expression said it all. Habitual suppression compromises our ability to be effective in relationships or in society. Excessive pressure and stress will eventually trigger an implosion....
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