Are We Full of Sh*t

In this episode, Are We Full of Sh*t? . . .

Let me ask you this, are you a reader (listener) concerned with young people's education today? Are we teaching our children to be creative or follow archaic rules handed down through generations? If so, let me introduce you to the author Don Hanley, Ph.D., and his inspiring memoir that we just finished. But before I do, let's set the stage for how unforeseen pivotal moments can unexpectedly change your life for the better.

In hindsight, one of those moments for me was an invitation to join a local writer's group after my early retirement from GIA in 2014. During that experience, I met and became friends with Dr. Don (as I call him), a former Catholic Priest who left the ministry to marry. Don earned a doctorate in psychology and has served for over 40 years as a psychotherapist, graduate school professor, and counseling supervisor.

Now retired and approaching his 90th birthday, his writings include four non-fiction books on psychology and education and a series of three novels (and rumor has it, he is currently working on another book).

His new book Finding Flowers in a little pile of Sh*t (a memoir), available on Amazon, reveals the life of a hard-working young man striving for acceptance in the Catholic faith during the 1940s. To paraphrase one of his reviewers, "This memoir takes the reader on a voyage of intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth where we discover Don's experiences - and how to live life as real participants."

Criticized as "Free Thinkers," we've decided to team up and share our lunch discussions with friends of philosophy. You may resemble that remark. Someone who questions the status quo and works to impart changes to improve our world. If so, join us.

Our conversations include curious questions about history, philosophy, religion, attitudes, personality traits, and more. We're considering a monthly blog post to discuss "Finding Flowers" and a chronological review of the many religions and their teachings as Don develops his upcoming book. And if we're brave enough, and there's enough interest, we may invite friends to participate in Saturday "FaceBook Live" sessions.

Are you interested? If so, please leave a comment or email pball@sbcglobal.net or dfhanley1933@gmail.com.

Also, if you want to meet Dr. Don, please review my earlier blog posts or listen to the podcasts produced on his most current novel, A New World of Hope.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

Beyond Facts-The Deep Dive

✨ In this episode, Beyond Facts: Reimagining School–in the Age of AI . . . This week's podcast is a bit different; it's another example of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer tools to creatively enhance your analytical presentation of information. We took this week's blog and copied it into Gemini with the question, “If a story is to work, it must, on some level, create an illusion of escape and also achieve a goal simultaneously. Does this apply to my blog post that follows?” What's created is not just an analysis of the writing, but an AI-generated discussion produced “On the Fly” - Enjoy! Did you know that the word "school" comes from the ancient Greek word scholē , which originally meant "leisure"? Not a rigid schedule or droning lectures filled with "facts," but free time for thinking and conversation. To the Greeks, learning happened best when life slowed down—when you had room to reflect, to ask questions, and to wrestle ...

A Heart Full of Thanks

Oh, the thanks I could think, and the thanks I could say! For the wonderful people who brightened my day. The first one is Lori, my wife, sweet and true, Who knows just the thing and knows just what to do. She whipped up a feast with a smile and a sigh, With corn on the cob and a steak cooked “On the Fly!” My neighbor, Steve, with a mischievous gleam, Said, “No fence work today! No work, it would seem! You’ll paint with some water, some colors so bright, And sign your new painting with all of your might!" I laughed and I said, “But I don’t know that skill! I’ll slap on some paint and see what sticks still!” Then there’s my friends on the Facebook machine, The best group of readers that ever was seen! They read all my blogs and they hear my podcasts, They send all their cheer that's built to last! And Billy and Linda. A Snoopy card in the mail. A wonderful surprise that was sure to prevail! From very good friends, a delightful new tale ! But the thanks didn't stop, no, not...

The Summer Surprise

In this special episode, The Summer Surprise . . . Well, howdy there! It's me, Huck Finn, and lemme tell ya, somethin' special happened just the other day. We called it "The Summer Surprise.” Phew-wee! That ol' post box, it coughed up somethin' good! Wasn't no bills, nor them pesky ads, and thankfully, no regular ol' rocks neither. Nope, this here was a letter, folded up neat as a pin, looked a bit like one o' them school lockers, just sittin' there waitin' to be opened. It was from young Sierra, a mighty fine friend, and she'd gone and made some pure, honest-to-goodness artwork with her own two hands. My fingers they was all thumbs, just itching to see what kind of wild wonder she'd whipped up this time. I unfolded that paper, careful-like, you know, and bless my bare feet, there it was! A picture of a whole gymnasium and a mini-soccer field, all done up in colors that just popped. She'd used crayons and pencils, and you could tel...

A Pirate's Ponderings

In this episode, A Pirate's Ponderings: Turning 69 with a Classic . . . When was the last time you were so compelled by a quest that you had your bags packed and your boots on before the first rooster crowed? For me, this summer has been exactly that, a journey where the world outside faded away and the one inside my head roared to life. I felt like that young cabin boy in training, with the vast ocean of a great story stretching out before me. My hand was on the wheel, navigating every swell, riding the waves, and eager to see what lay just beyond the horizon. This wasn't a journey across lands, but a flight of imagination that has been an exciting ride. My adventure took off on the deck of the Hispaniola as I became lost on Treasure Island . My imagination soared, and I could almost taste the salt spray and feel the ship's timbers groan as we sailed toward our destiny. Below deck, in the narrow, shadowy depths, I could smell the hearty meals Long John Silver and Jim Haw...

On The Fly

Search This Blog