à la carte spirit by ilona fried
meditation
Taking Stock at the Stock Show
For a few weeks every January, the Denver Coliseum hosts the National Western Stock Show, a celebration of livestock and the men, women and children who tend them. When I first moved here, the event sparked both curiosity and aversion. Having never been to a stock show, I wondered what it was all about. At … Continue reading
Fire, Fire Everywhere
Wildfire after wildfire has been raging here in Colorado over the last few days. First I learned of the fire outside Fort Collins, 90 minutes from Denver. Although far enough away to be out of sight, winds carried smoke to the city, an acrid reminder of the destruction. While hiking last Saturday in Rocky Mountain … Continue reading
Punctuality. It’s About Time.
No matter how much I meditate or do yoga inversions (forcing me to see things upside down), my buttons are pushed when people don’t show up or events don’t begin at the agreed upon or advertised time. I experience, to varying degrees, irritation, anger, disappointment and/or — if it’s someone I really care about — … Continue reading
Lessons from a Goat
I met this goat yesterday at a farm where I attended a workshop on compassion (facilitated by humans but taught by horses). While the workshop was fascinating, I learned just as much from this creature, with whom I spent a good chunk of the lunch break. Unlike the horses and their subtler forms of expression … Continue reading
In Praise of Fools
Recently, I met someone new. At first glance, due to his profession and appearance, he reminded me of three people I had been close to a few decades ago. Immediately, my mind decided that he was a mash-up of these folks and started scanning the conversation, his gestures and expressions for evidence that, indeed, he … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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