Ripped Out began as a journal – a way for me to cope with cancer, and it helped – a lot. I discovered that writing was a great gift to me – and it was gratifying to learn that it was a gift to others as well.
After the book was published, I created this website to continue to provide a way for me and hopefully others to continue sharing our thoughts, struggles and learnings about life in general.
Cancer forced me to discover, explore and deal with fear, anger, and despair.
Delightfully, it also helped me to experience more deeply the love and joy and connections in my life. And, a huge and unexpected bonus – cancer has helped me to understand myself as a spiritual being.
I am grateful for all that I have learned.
Now, Climate disaster is upon us. We are living in the most difficult time imaginable.
I hope that our experiences, learnings, thoughts and feelings will be helpful others.
Writing is a way to give of ourselves.
Your contributions will be valued, by me and by others who read this blog.
I am a poet, author, husband, grandfather, an elder in the men’s movement, a mediator and public speaker.
I have been writing poetry for about 35 years, and in 2013 published Ripped Out: One Man’s Journey Surviving Prostate Cancer. My poetry has been published in some local papers and journals, and my book is available either electronically or in print elsewhere on this blog.
In my book, I use poetry, prose and pictures to describe what happened to me, how I felt (scared, sad, depressed) and how I managed to get through.
I use poetry, writing and photography to to find meaning in my life; to triumph over cancer, to feel gratitude, to feel alive, to never give up.
I would very much like to learn from you what you do to cope with not only what cancer has pushed your way but with everyday feelings of sadness, worry, anxiety and despair.
Most mornings, I get up early, start a fire, make coffee, give thanks for being alive and start to write about what I see in front of me and what I feel inside.
I hope that you find what I write interesting and useful. And more than that, I hope that you will choose to write as well using my blog. I would greatly value learning how you are bringing meaning and gratitude to your life.
I would be pleased to visit schools, book clubs and libraries, either in person or using electronic means such as Skype. Please contact me for more information.
