By Michael Patrick O’Brien– Did you ever wonder what your life might be like if you lived during another era? Fortunately, I don’t have to guess blindly. Legendary film director…
Posts published in “Uncategorized”
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– I received two rather unique gifts during my 62nd birthday celebration this week. One was eligibility for Social Security retirement benefits. The other was a visit…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– I’ve always been more of a night owl than a morning lark. This circadian orientation probably explains my unusual teenage interest, some fifty years ago, in…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– Although my mother wanted nothing from life but marriage, children, and a home, circumstances beyond her control destroyed that white picket fence dream. She had to…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– The dramatic Easter saga of crucifixion and resurrection includes some wonderful images—a cross, empty tomb, candle, paschal lamb, bunny with colored eggs, and white lily. My…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– A century ago, London sociologists suggested, “The purpose of liturgy is to quicken the mind, energise the body, awaken the soul.” Based on my own experience, they were describing…
By Gary Topping– Bandon, Oregon is a popular tourist destination on the southern coast at the mouth of the Coquille River. When my grandfather, George P. Topping, arrived there in…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– A vacation at the beach is not always, well, a vacation at the beach. In March 2023, I attended a continuing legal education (CLE) employment law…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– The recurring motif in the Harry Potter books about the cursed Defense of the Dark Arts professor job at Hogwarts always fascinated me. The English teacher…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– I love all the portraits of my two daughters, but one rises above the rest as my favorite. I took the photo a decade ago at…