Memoirs

My father left the Missouri-Synod Lutheran Church of his strict Iowa farm-boy upbringing for The ALC (American Lutheran Church), which then morphed, into the ELC (Evangelical Lutheran Church). Over the years Dad became more and more tolerant and open minded towards other faiths. He was always devout however, and eventually rose to the status of [...]

An element of abstention, of restraint, must enter into all finer joys. Vida D. Scudder -------------------------------- Like nearly all my stories from that better part of a year I spent on 6-D East (1977-78) I struggle with what time, emotion and subsequent experience must inevitably do, to mess with my perspective and recollection. Of course [...]

And he struggled for three days. This poor man, who had knocked himself unconscious by ramming the solid oak door with his head. Who had ripped a mattress in half. Who had raged and raged for hours and hours in the locked room. And... who knew what happened before he had been taken to 6-D [...]

The moment I was on the ward, I knew something out of the ordinary was happening that morning. Something dramatic. There were orderlies, nurses and nursing assistants from all over St. Mary's and they had one thing in common. They were big and male. As a fellow big guy I was greeted with nods, grunting [...]

"Free will is the sensation of making the choice. Even though, behind the scenes, the laws of physics were pulling the strings." Physicist Brian Greene --------------------------------- "How do you think it feels When all you can say is: If only" Artist Lou Reed ------------------------------- This morning, I'm having the sensation of making the choice to [...]

Looking round this swirling sea All that bubbles up to be Opportunities arise Come to punish, come to prize When it comes, time to choose Realize that it’s all true ------------------------------------ I've never been one to put much stock into things like premonitions and signs n such. Almost every time I've taken LSD, my "trip" [...]

I have no idea who came up with the clever plan to double my student loan money. All I can remember now, is that an old friend (who shall remain nameless here) and I, agreed to go 50/50 on something like 750 hits of "purple barrel" acid. I would contact this "Guy" guy, arrange the deal [...]

It wasn't the first time young "good boy" me was entrusted with more responsibility than adult "aware" me would have done. It also wasn't the first time I was the unwitting subject of experimental practices in policy and procedure by those with authority. And it wouldn't be the last. That summer job that wasn’t bringing in [...]

Now that I think about it, it was probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I suppose some might pass it off as just another crazy youthful stunt (I’ve certainly participated in my share) and I don’t think I could throw a rock in this town without hitting at least three old coots who’ve done [...]

"What is the sense of ruining my head and erasing my memory, which is my capital, and putting me out of business? It was a brilliant cure, but we lost the patient." Ernest Hemmingway ------------------------------------- I can't remember exactly when it happened, but my first "real job" with the hospital TV rental company, eventually morphed [...]