L. Kris Gowen's Blog, page 6
July 28, 2015
Why I love microcars
Three years ago, I had no idea what I microcar was. I remember seeing them – most vividly on the streets of Italy when my family went there when I was 10. We traveled around Italy, Greece, and the then-Yugoslavia with another family with kids the same age as my brother and me. Our method […]
June 28, 2015
Taking chances here and there
When I was in middle school, I wanted to be a truck driver. Out on the open road like BJ and the Bear, without a care in the world except my haul. Then, my career plans changed – I wanted to be a van painter, traveling around the US turning people’s vehicles into pure magic […]
June 11, 2015
I got to wait for my friend
All day I was looking forward to the concert – yes, the Barry Manilow concert. I grew up listening to him, and I was in for an evening of cheese and nostalgia. And time with my dear friend. She got us tickets through Groupon, inviting me because she knew I would be into it. Able […]
June 1, 2015
In search of my people
In some ways I’m having a hard time adjusting to back to Portland (have I said this before? It feels like I have, which means it was, and still is, true). It’s cold here, and today is one of those stereotypical/prototypical Pacific Northwest days where it’s grey but not quite rainy. Mother Nature is misting down […]
May 26, 2015
How I Meditate
I’ve been writing, but nothing I want to put out in public for various reasons. Yet, I feel the need to maintain some sort of consistency here. I want to somehow prove to the world and myself that I am still writing. So, for lack of anything else to publish, I am sharing what goes on […]
May 15, 2015
Always here, always now
To be able to be unhurried when hurried; To be able not to slack off when relaxed; To be able not to be frightened And at a loss for what to do, When frightened and at a loss; This is the learning that returns us To our natural state and transforms our lives. [Liu Wemin, […]
May 8, 2015
The culture of sport
I first tried to understand cricket in the early 90s, after graduating from college. I was one of the managers of the intramural department at my alma mater, and a bunch of us who worked there decided to figure out how cricket worked. The World Cup was broadcast on ESPN2 at some ungodly hour when […]
April 28, 2015
Souvenirs
I’ve been back in the US for two and a half weeks and am starting to settle in. The moments of reverse culture shock and general feelings of being overwhelmed lessen each day, but remain. I am learning how to live in this country again. Although I am settling into a level of familiarity being […]
April 21, 2015
Slow down, you move too fast
I took the bus for the first time since coming back to Portland. It made the city feel more like home again. I like the idea of sitting down, staring out the window, and letting someone else deal with the traffic. Yes, it takes more time than driving, but in some ways that’s good. The […]
April 13, 2015
Everything Old is New Again
The old airport carpet was still there to welcome me despite its busy social calendar. I am back in Oregon. Reconnecting with friends, listening to sports radio, drinking good wine, enjoying rain. Relishing the fact that I am wearing a skirt that exposes me knees. So far, the culture shock has been minimal, but I […]
