how do I get there? Creating something new is hard. Can I protect myself from those telling me it can't be done? It hurts when they point out, rightly or wrongly, that I don't have what it takes to see it through, that the obstacles are too great, that my skills, my plan, or my temperament is not up to the job. And how do I defend myself when I agree with the critics or when I'm the toughest critic of all? If I listen too closely, I might give up. If I don't listen at all, I might miss what...

what am I reaching for? It doesn't happen often. Abundant noise can fragment signal. Meaning is hard to see when every screen is yelling out one more disturbing detail, another enticing sensation, and distractions built upon a haphazard foundation of what came before. But every once in a while, the sounds become a chord and the words penetrate. No more noise, no more wondering if I'm doing too much or not enough. Just a connection where I disappear and we exist together. The air crystalizes...

back to the beginning… My family left Philadelphia to live in Alaska in 1970. Today I’m visiting Philly and for the moment sitting under a birch tree to admire it’s latest green outfit. Childhood memories painted this downtown in black and white, thick with grime, larger than a monster movie, darker than a noir crime story. But childhood memories didn’t include this quiet corner of downtown under a tree. Nature lives here. And urban decay happens even in Alaska. It’s up to us, wherever we...