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Every time I think about it, the number of years that have passed overwhelms me with something a little less than grief and a little more than wonder. 34 years. . . and counting. And yet, when I tap into the power of that almighty muse that fueled my way through the autumn of 1992,…
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On Friday of last week – September 4 – I realized rather quickly in my daily doom scroll of social media posts, reels, and stories that I needed to make the conscious decision to hide the Apps for at least 10 days. At first, I saw the usual videos of September 11, 2001, that usually…
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This weekend has been filled with a lot of “huh.” moments. You might know the kind. It’s when you realize something is over, or some priorities need to shift. You can ponder them all you want; you can even know – deep within you – that something has to change. But until the “huh.” moment…
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This morning, I reunited with my best friend from high school (and beyond) after a 10-year “pause” in our best-friendship. Life, ya know? We picked up right where we left off, with silly one-liners slipping between giggles like we were 18 again. It is a testament, I believe, to the depth of our friendship. But…
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![Day 4: [Re]Launch](https://rusvanwestervelt.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/dsc_1068.jpg?w=1024)
Tonight, our family gathered around the television and watched the launch of Artemis II, a historic return to space as four astronauts began their 10-day journey to the moon (and beyond) and back to earth. It was a nostalgic moment for me when our own family gathered around the television in the late ‘60’s and…
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In the last couple of days, I have taken two 3-mile hikes on local trails. The first was at Cromwell Valley Park, a moderate hike that took me through pastures and along ridge lines, leading me in the early going to a nice, high view of the big dam and the surrounding reservoir. I took…
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As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I have been doing a lot of reading since reclaiming my time. In 2024, I read 64 books (or 17,210 pages, if you like the stats). Last year, I finished 48 books (or 12,464 pages). This year, I am on track to read somewhere between those two numbers. I…
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In the past four years, I have made a more conscientious effort to “feed my soul” and focus on many of the joyful, creative acts that I have neglected for decades. That’s a long time, but now that I am in my 60’s, I’m thinking less about what I haven’t done and more about what…
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It was the summer of 1985, I was a rising junior at Towson State University, and I was rebounding from a break up with my high school sweetheart. My friend Bryan decided that a road trip to Kings Dominion Theme Park in Richmond would be a good way to get my mind off of “the…
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As we begin our study of poetry in my English classes, we are preparing for our participation in Poetry Out Loud, a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Instead of reviewing the list of approved poems for the competition, I first take my students through a Daybook writing activity where they answer…
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