“A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind.” ~Henry David Thoreau, Walden Red Oaks Nature Center / Cindy La Ferle Last week I was talking to a friend who also has a love-hate relationship with her iPhone. Like me, she forgets to check it sometimes and has to be reminded to put the thing in her purse — which seems to annoy other people. Not carrying a cell phone is now considered an act of civil disobedience.We agreed that smartphones have totally changed the way we live, in positive and negative ways. Life has taken on a sense of immediacy like…

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~Jalaluddin Rumi Lake Michigan sunset / Cindy La Ferle On Thursday, I had surgery for the removal and biopsy of a lesion on my lower right eyelid. It was the fourth time a surgeon sliced into my face for skin cancer — so you’d think I’d be used to this sort of thing by now. This time, however, the problem was right next to my eye, making the procedure more creepy — and me more nervous — than usual. And this time, I knew I’d be knocked out with anesthesia, which added another layer of complexity. As my ophthalmic surgeon explained, she…