(This post was originally published on September 11, 2013) I recently listened to an interview with Nadia Bolz-Weber. There were a lot of keepers in the interview (even for a non-believer). She's described as a recovering drug addict. Her recovery shines through in this, "fake it till you make it" discussion: Ms. Tippett: So a sermon … Continue reading Faith is given in sufficient quantities to communities
Category: Random
Umwelt
Yesterday, I was reading This Will Make You Smarter and thought that the concept of umwelt could be enormously helpful for my social work students and Dawn Farm's counseling staff: In 1909, the biologist Jakob von Uexküll introduced the concept of the umwelt. He wanted a word to express a simple (but often overlooked) observation: different … Continue reading Umwelt
Faith is given in sufficient quantities to communities
I recently listened to an interview with Nadia Bolz-Weber. There were a lot of keepers in the interview (even for a non-believer). She's described as a recovering drug addict. Her recovery shines through in this, "fake it till you make it" discussion: Ms. Tippett: So a sermon of yours I wish I could have heard is … Continue reading Faith is given in sufficient quantities to communities
hope is a function of struggle
From On Being, some insight on hope and how people can foster it or inhibit its development: Ms. Brown: You know, one of the most interesting things I've found in doing this work is, you know, something the wholehearted share in common is this real profound sense of hopefulness. And as I got into the literature … Continue reading hope is a function of struggle
The adjacent possible and hope
I heard a radio show this morning about where ideas come from. They interviewed a guy who wrote a book and gave a TED talk on the topic. During the interview he discussed the concept of the adjacent possible and it's importance in forming new ideas. During the interview, he described it as the building … Continue reading The adjacent possible and hope
2014’s top posts: #11
Philip Seymour Hoffman It's nice to see a victim of addiction be remembered not just for their talent, accomplishments, personal drama or whatever else, and instead be remembered for his goodness. It’s being widely reported that Philip Seymour Hoffman died of a drug overdose. He was found in a West Village apartment with the syringe … Continue reading 2014’s top posts: #11
Roger Ebert Reader on Addiction
Ted Pillow has pulled together a collection of Roger Ebert quotes about addiction. I loved Ebert and this is a great read. Here's a taste: “Alcoholics or drug addicts feel wrong when they don’t feel right. Eventually they feel very wrong, and must feel right, and at that point their lives spiral down into some … Continue reading Roger Ebert Reader on Addiction
You start losing everything
NY Magazine shares a jarring photo essay. (Trigger warning, the images are pretty graphic.) Most documentary projects about addiction expose someone else’s self-destructive behavior, but Graham MacIndoe took a very different approach: He photographed himself during the years he was addicted to drugs. He’d place a cheap digital camera on a table or bookshelf, set the … Continue reading You start losing everything
Sentences to ponder
This is what it's all about. "I’m glad I’m here. I’m glad I want to live again. I have dreams. I want a family. I want to experience life. And right now, I’m heading in the right direction." via A suburban heroin addict describes his brush with death and his hopes for a better life … Continue reading Sentences to ponder
What we project onto Philip Seymour Hoffman
Jen Matesa pushes back against some of the commentary framing Philip Seymour Hoffman's attempt to re-establish his recovery through a 12 step program as a product of stigma. (This, in spite of the fact that he had previously maintained recovery using this path for 23 years.) I find it astonishingly patronizing that some are suggesting … Continue reading What we project onto Philip Seymour Hoffman
