à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Hiking
And This Little Piggy Said “Weeee” All the Way Home
Not since my mother recited the “Little Piggy” rhyme and tickled my (then small) feet have I focused this much attention on my left pinky toe. At the moment, it’s not saying “weeee”. And, according to a senior Rolfing practitioner I consulted, it’s not saying much at all. Rolfing, unlike much of Western medicine, considers … Continue reading
On Being a Tourist in My Own Backyard
When I was an active member of the Colorado Mountain Club, hiking steep trails and bagging peaks, it was tempting to pooh-pooh people who “cheated” and drove to the tops of mountains. At times, some of my fellow hikers demeaned folks who were not in good shape or were too “lazy” to spend time in … Continue reading
Tendonitis as Spiritual Teacher
Until last autumn, when I overused one of my tendons on the Camino de Santiago, I had never sustained a mobility-impairing injury. While people may say that I was lucky to be injury-free for that long, I often wondered if my fear of getting hurt prevented me from exploring exhilarating and risky pursuits. Maybe I … Continue reading
Of Mountains and Mark Doty
Somehow, I managed to not know of poet and memoirist Mark Doty until Lighthouse Writers Workshop brought him to the Denver area over the weekend. Friends raved about him, so I attended a “Writers Studio”, a combination of poetry reading and interview on Saturday, and his craft talk on Sunday. That the first event took … Continue reading
Meditating on My Footprint
I have disproportionately large feet. Contrary to the predictions of my heavily perfumed and amply cleavaged seventh grade French teacher, my stature never became commensurate with my outsized feet (and hands). She swore I would be at least 5’6″. Although I found her personality eccentric and her scent overpowering, I had faith in her prophecy … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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