Skip to main content

Beyond the Post-it Notes

In this episode, Beyond the Post-it Notes: Finding the Anam Cara . . . 

Last week, when I arrived at Dr. Don’s home to help him with computer issues and our biweekly lunch, I found myself reflecting on the wide range of topics we always discuss. We connect as if we’ve been friends for years, even though he’s 92 and I’m 68. It’s funny—during our conversations, age seems to disappear.

As we reviewed his list of computer questions on his Post-it notes, he surprised me by handing me a book. "Here, I want you to have this book," he said, his expression resembling that of someone offering something precious or secret.

Later that day, I found myself engrossed in its pages. The book is "Anam Cara" by John O'Donohue. For weeks, I had noticed it on his desk and felt curious, yet I had no idea what I would discover inside.

Right from the very first chapter, "The Mystery of Friendship," this book beautifully captures a feeling I experienced in that moment with Dr. Don—a profound connection that seems to transcend both logic and time. O'Donohue introduces the lovely old Gaelic term "Anam Cara," which means "soul friend."

O'Donohue discusses a type of friendship that transcends everyday pleasantries and shared activities. It is a bond where you can truly be seen, allowing the masks we often wear in the world to fall away. It involves recognizing the light and the landscape of another person's soul and permitting them to reveal theirs.

Reading this, I thought, “This clearly describes many of my closest friends.” There’s a comfort, openness, and willingness to share thoughts and feelings that feels ancient and easy. This mystery O'Donohue describes—how two souls can recognize each other and connect on a level that transcends the usual boundaries.

The book suggests that finding an anam cara is like finding a spiritual companion who awakens your life and helps you see the "wild possibilities" within yourself.

It got me thinking: “Do we truly appreciate the depth of our connections?” Are we brave enough to let ourselves be seen, and to truly see others? What magical ingredient makes one connection feel so much more profound than others?

Anam Cara delves so much deeper into these ideas, exploring how this soul-level connection impacts friendship and how we relate to ourselves, love, and the world around us. Just thinking about it reminds me of the incredible, sometimes unexpected, gifts life (and generous friends!) can offer.

This idea of a soul friend, an anam cara, feels like a gentle invitation to examine our relationships with new eyes and cherish those rare and beautiful bonds where our souls feel at home.

If this sparks something in you, Anam Cara may be a book calling to you, too!

I'm Patrick Ball. Stay curious and ask questions. See you in the next episode.

Comments

Anonymous said…
That's Patrick.. Dr Don is truly a gift to humanity.. I am so glad you two have forged this deep bond
Don Hanley said…



A wonderful and invitational book 'report', Patrick. And I very much appreciate the sentiments and connection.

Most Popular of All Time

Chasing the Magic

In this episode, Chasing the Magic: How the Summer of ’98 Inspired the 'Ball Boys' . . .  Do you remember that feeling? The late-summer air was thick with humidity, radios crackling on porches, the smell of fresh-cut grass and barbecue smoke in the backyard. Every evening carried a new kind of suspense—the country holding its collective breath after every pitch. “Did he hit one today?” became more than a question; it sparked a nationwide conversation.   For me, and millions of others, the summer of 1998 wasn’t just another baseball season. It was theater, a movement, a time when the game recaptured something sacred. As sportswriter Mike Lupica said so perfectly,   “No matter how old you are or how much you’ve seen, sports is still about memory and imagination. Never more than during the summer of ’98, when baseball made everyone feel like a kid again, when it felt important again.”    Just four years earlier, the 1994 players’ strike had left the sport bruised...

Beyond Facts

✨ 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 scholÄ“ , 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 ...

Retirement Talk

In this episode, Patrick & Huck: Retirement Talk . . .   We all get caught daydreaming sometimes, don’t we? Just like Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn might’ve done, lazyin’ by the river with a fishing pole in hand and the BIG wide world spinn’ in their heads. This morning, with coffee steaming and plans bubbling, I found myself driftin’ into a chat with none other than my imaginary friend–Huck Finn himself. Patrick: “Mornin’, Huck. Say, I’m mighty curious what you’d make of this retirement business.” Huck: “Well now, sit tight, ‘cause I’ve been thinkin’ on that too. Only thirty-one days 'til you're sixty-nine — whew! You're talkin’ ‘bout quittin’, hangin’ up your spurs, Givin’ the workin’ life its final good slurs. Ain’t got no debts, no mortgage, no fuss, Just clean livin’ and freedom waitin’ on the bus. Most folks’d throw hats in the air, cheerin’ loud and proud, But you? You’re starin’ out yonder, lost in some cloud. You're dreamin’ of cyclin' and books and guitar...

The Sights of Summer

In this episode, The Sights of Summer: Chasing Miles & Unexpected Smiles . . . For Lori and me, the perfect summer morning isn't something you find marked on a calendar; it's a feeling . It's the refreshing crispness of the air on our faces, the gentle warmth of the sun on our skin, and the exciting anticipation of discovering new miles and uncovering the hidden "sights of summer" along our journey. A glorious California day returns with our weekly ride. We begin with a warm-up cruise around our neighborhood under a wide, cloudless, azure sky. With a smile, I’m thinking, " You know it’s going to be a great ride when even furry co-pilots are excited!"  We chuckled as a neighbor drove past, two white, fluffy dogs with their tongues flapping in the breeze and ears flopping wildly out the truck window. Pure canine bliss—an ideal sign for a fun day on two wheels. “Did you see those pups? They looked like they were smiling.” Traffic was blissfully light, ...