Author Archives: Paul Williams
Addictions, Behavior, Character, Giving Back
“Thanks Mountain”
One of my favorite movies has always been “Treasure of Sierra Madre“. There’s a nice moment in the film when three miners who’ve struck gold are about to come down off the mountain. They’ve staked their claim and are leaving with a small fortune they’ve pried from the rocky terrain. One of the three, a crusty old charmer named Howard (played by Walter Huston) insists they restore the mountain and close the wound they’ve ripped in her side. The… Read More
MAYBE, AND THAT IS FINAL
To be or not to be. Sometimes the choice is ours. Hamlet knew he could “his quietus make with a bare bodkin.” That would be a knife in Elizabethan times. A little extreme. If I were going to “end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to” I sure as hell wouldn’t stab myself. No, I’m not suicidal. I’m not even depressed. Forgive the maudlin beginning but Hamlet’s soliloquy is probably the most brilliant thing ever written about throwing… Read More
WITH A SONG IN MY HEART
It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog. I’m sorry to have been missing in action. An extra full plate is partially responsible. Endless blessings. But, I experienced something a few days ago that lit a fire and made me want to share it with you. I’m sometimes obsessed with time passing. I often retrace my life back to events that have led to especially meaningful moments or milestones. I wrote an earlier blog about it. I concluded… Read More
Addictions, Appreciation, Clarity, Compassion, Courage
MEMORIAL DAZE
May 19th Tracey and I recorded a podcast with Randy Cohen. An enjoyable visit with an interesting man. During a break I rather casually mentioned that it was the anniversary of my fathers death. “Today? May 19th?” Tracey asked. I answered “Yes, in 1954. Two days before his 60th birthday.” It had quietly and almost clinically occurred to me. We nodded respectfully and the conversation moved on. It was one of those moments when a memory surprises you by its… Read More
Addictions, Kindness, Life, Living Fully, The Right Stuff
AFTERCARE
Last Sunday I woke up really early after an extended trip, stepped on the scale and found my nibble was showing. I’d picked up a few extra pounds and I could feel it. Not good. Not life threatening but a lapse in my food discipline just a hair past acceptable. When Tracey and I began working on the book I had applied the affirmations to my food issues. I was thrilled with the results. I dropped almost 30 pounds… Read More
YOUR IDENTIFICATION PLEASE
I had an interesting dream a few nights ago. I was on stage in a vast auditorium with many balconies and elaborate old – world decorations. It was difficult to see. I was blinded by a powerful spotlight. I felt a strong desire to get past the formal setting. I was smiling, trying to block out the light so I could see the audience and let them know that I considered them friends. A little like a nervous kid… Read More
BILLBOARDS
I graduated High School in 1958. Yes, a long, long, time ago. But the teenage trauma I experienced left a fair amount of psychic debris and to this day I feel a wave of discomfort when I find myself surrounded by adolescent. In high school I was physically different from my classmates. Tiny, with a slow body clock that wouldn’t deliver me to physical maturity until after graduation, I had a tough time. With the exception of a few… Read More
FEEDBACK
A musician on stage cringes when he hears feedback during a performance. It’s usually in the form of a screeching electronic protestation caused by … well, I’m not really sure. It’s a problem usually created when the microphone and the monitors enter a level of intimacy unsanctioned by the Gods of technology. There was a time when I’d have gone on and on about why feedback occurs, undeterred by the fact that I was simply guessing. Life is better this… Read More
Addictions, Honesty, Life, Moving Forward
SMALL TALK
I just spent a week in Mexico with 500 people in various stages of recovery. It’s an annual event sponsored by Sober Vacations International. Mostly alcoholics like myself, the gathering included alcoholics and drug addicts with anywhere from 4 days of sobriety to 51 years. You couldn’t tell by looking that we were recovering drunks. If anything set us apart from your normal Club Med crowd it would have to be the blissful grins and friendly greetings. We love… Read More
PASSENGER OR PILOT
A few days ago I was texting with a close friend and fellow recovering alcoholic. We’re especially comfortable with one another, as survivors of addiction tend to be. The shared experience is usually a recipe for honest dialogue at a greater depth than your average “how bout them Bears” conversation. Actually, my complete lack of sports knowledge is reason enough to avoid such manly discussions. While we always celebrate the much improved life our abstinence and the principles of… Read More