Author Michael Arkin is a former Independent State Hearing Officer who was appointed to hear and determine contested cases between school districts and parents as part of the Special Education Hearing Office in Sacramento, California. A former United States Department of Justice trial attorney in Washington, D.C., he engaged in a private law practice, first in Southern California and later in the Mother Lode country of which he writes.

There are some pretty awesome Bigs with some equally wonderful Littles. Plus, there are fantastic staff members who recruit, train, screen, pair, and assist them. Then, there are the dedicated volunteers and donors who support all of them in so many essential ways. Fortunately, there is the committed and energetic Sarah Rudd-Lawlor who encourages, inspires, and manages everyone.

Over and over again we hear or read about the term duality in certain spiritual literature. Intellectually, we understand what the word means, but we may not fully internalize its meaning. The unabridged edition of the Random House Dictionary of the English Language states that duality (as a state of being dual) means having a two-fold, or double, character or nature. Note that in this definition, the “character or nature” of something is single, one thing, while dual describes this oneness as being two-fold. In other words, two sides of the same coin.

Once upon a time there was a young maiden with a gentle golden heart waiting to be swept up onto the magic carpet of her dreams. The tale of the magic toad was told to me, and it seemed to be the only means to get to the beloved, that one holding my heart throughout time. But alas, there are so many toads. How do I find the one that may be my prince? Perhaps the painting on my wall of The Frog Prince will give me a clue.

I took a speech class at City College when I was in my 40’s. All the students in the class appeared to be in their teens or early twenties. I wanted to tell a funny story, but wasn’t sure if what I saw as funny would connect with these young people and make them laugh. Appreciation of humor seems so generational.

Many women, especially in a business environment, seem to believe that they have to play certain roles to achieve certain goals. Women often want to please, and they definitely don’t want to disappoint other people’s expectations. The effort to please others usually results in disappointment and frustration for the pleaser.

By Barbara Atkinson
A gentle rustling breeze
Breathing in my ear.
Singing an aroma,
A whisper I can hear.
The tenderest of lovers
Caressing with their leaves;
The rites of Spring’s flirtations
Gently tugging at my sleeve.
Long and stretched to greet them,
My body as a loom;
Trees weave their mysteries round me
In nature’s undulating womb.

Where is the most peaceful place to visit on the Central Coast ?
Melanie Reese Senn
Nighttime, the picnic table in my own backyard, sans children.
Leslie St. John
The Hydrolucinogen room at the sanitarium in SLO–cool blues, purples, white-silvers; watercolors, thick linens, a deep metal tub; and the room has a private deck. It’s an oasis in town, a quiet place to reconnect with my own voice (all the other “should/should not” voices are momentarily shushed). There, she speak in poems, paintings, dance…
Christine Dewart
Morning hikes up Bishops during the week were a great …

A friend of mine wrote to me this morning and started the email out with, “Long time no news!” This is the same friend who encouraged me over a month ago to continue to write even during the times that I’m less than motivated to do so. My life has been a whirlwind since the New Year began, and inspiration to write has been few and far between.

If asked about your greatest obstacle to business or professional success, would you say, “funding”? I often suspect that our finances aren’t our greatest barriers, but perhaps imagination and insight are. For example, if you currently have a business plan that was written to attract seed money, how useful is the content? Many plans are static, formal documents that are meant to impress potential financial backers, but do not necessarily serve as living, breathing roadmaps. And if you already have sufficient funding, should you skip the business plan altogether?