April 2019

It all sounds crazy now. At the time, my life was crazier than I recognized. I was lonely and directionless. I yearned for the secret to life; the secret to me. Tsunamis of change swept the country, even Northwestern University, where I pursued – not so much a B.A., but something more elusive. The upheavals of that time opened intriguing possibilities to the seeking heart. Civil rights marches and anti-war protests offered purpose. Timothy Leary held… Read More »Chapter 1: A New Life

On Sunday I was baptized. On Monday I simply stayed at the Ranch, returning to my tiny house only to collect what few belongings seemed worth holding onto. From a solitary life, I landed abruptly in a communal existence: seldom alone, with rules and expectations that chafed. Three couples were in a leadership role – Weldon and Barbara, with their two children – a girl of perhaps seven and a… Read More »Chapter 2: Learning To Live

I now lived with Celine and her husband Ben and their three children. Penny, the youngest, would be my responsibility. When we discussed pay, I said I was thinking about $10 (a week), and Celine said she had been thinking the same amount – per month! After the first dinner of canned tomato soup and crackers, I began picking edible greens in the nearby forest for a salad, making a… Read More »Chapter 3: Away from Home