Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Distant Shores

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:43:36 PST

The doctor made a quick assessment of the repair and subsequent healing, determining nothing for sure, but satisfied there was progression. He pressed hard on a particular spot to ensure last week’s...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Surrender

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:53:24 PST

I am raised in a family of achievers.Before the age of five and entering kindergarten, I knew well it was my German ancestor, a century earlier, who had “invented” the concept that children, like...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Let Go, Let Love

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:51:30 PST

For a lifetime, I have had my mother to talk over the joys and pains in my world. Even with four other sisters vying for her attention, she always had an ear for me.There was the usual and customary...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Broken Armor

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:13:41 PDT

This accident was no accident.The morning began with the composition of an essay about my father, the first written step towards admitting all was not as safe and secure in my childhood as the legend...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Status

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:00:05 PDT

Despite the brilliance of leaves turning and dropping, this time in Vermont can be very gloomy, thick with clouds, heavy with rain, dreary with the thundering silent approach of winter. At least this...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Up, Up & Awa-a-ay

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:42:34 PDT

Fall nudges its way into our lives, a few leaves at a time, one brilliant branch spreading to another. In a mere eight weeks, our skis will have likely touched snow.Over the summer (that some call...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Retrograde

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:14:53 PDT

At a certain point in each circle around the sun, even though it continues moving forward, from our perspective, a planet appears to reverse its motion and comes back towards us. According to...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Times Like These

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:35:01 PDT

One day a few weeks ago, I was really struggling and despondant about the paths laid out before me and the blocks that I had put in my way by the limiting choices made months and years ago. The...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Tales of Two Cities

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:14:54 PDT

Returning our rental car this morning, I encountered a chic couple looking over a map in the lobby as they waited for their car. They did not seem to be happy to be visiting Vermont, nor very...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

The Road Goes on Forever

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:00:20 PDT

In a borrowed pick-up truck, new contractor shorts, and a sturdy new pair of heavy shoes, I worked all week as a carpenter (mason actually) and whistled much of the time. It was not long before a...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Making Doo

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:33:08 PDT

Quarterbacking your favorite team on Monday morning is supposed to be an easy thing, but no one mentions how Monday’s analysis makes no decisions about the following Sunday any easier. I am...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Tender in the Night

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:38:59 PDT

Just recently I have been working on a new song that includes the line “Doing what it takes to get us through the night”. This was with no idea that within a few days I would be lying awake in the...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Perseverance

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:29:46 PDT

A lot of advice comes my way these days that so soon divorced I should spend time alone and independently. Once married for twenty years, now twice divorced, lessons are available to be discerned. I...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Goin' Down the Road

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:00:50 PDT

On a Vermont two lane byway, green mountains rolled out, a sky full of thunder clouds and patches of brilliant blue, the Grateful Dead singing along, some times it feels like no time has passed at...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Oasis

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:56:24 PDT

Several times this week I have stared at this yellow pad, pen in hand, patiently awaiting inspiration only to move on to do something else. After eighteen months of regular entries, it feels bad to...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

No Money on Trees

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:09:16 PDT

A friend and I bantered the other day about the fact that what lies in our back pocket is more important than the size of what we hide in the front of our pants. We both adore women in general and...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

At the Bitter End it's not so bitter

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:43:03 PDT

With plenty of time to spare, my son and I arrived in New York City, daunted and excited by the heat, traffic and cavernous setting of the landscape. Easily, we found Bleeker Street and wandered...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Roads Taken

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:47:25 PDT

Full of ice cream, mango and a break-a-leg bon voyage from a good friend, my son and I redstered into the sunset, on our way at last to play music in the Big City, may show at the Bitter End....

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Out of the Ravine

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:51:37 PDT

It is no exaggeration that people are regularly killed at Tuckerman’s Ravine on the east side of Mount Washington. A friend of mine once witnessed someone plummet inescapably downward. Two, in fact,...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Balancing, Balancing

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:01:46 PDT

To protect the innocent, I have purposefully refrained from writing about relationship in this very public forum. My personal laundry is one thing, but the linen of others—no matter how clean it...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Passing in the Aisle

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Sat, 16 May 2009 08:07:22 PDT

This week I have several times stared at my yellow pad and left the page blank, or worse, moved on with scribbles crossed out and nothing productive to bring over to the computer or launch to this...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Dancing in the Rain

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:36:21 PDT

A year ago, I worried that I was way over the hill and would be unable to accomplish much at this later stage of life. Most artists and writers have done their best work by midlife and coast along,...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Uncached

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:06:14 PDT

Over the weekend, I received an uncharacteristic phone call from the other guitarist in Cache. The night before, we had played at a private party, the very first time in front of anybody, and though...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Sweating the Details

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:20:28 PDT

When I worried about how to ground the energy of this trip once returned home and buried in the daily details of living, I had not paid attention to my calendar. The very next evening,...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

Homeward Bound

kip@kipdemoll.com (Kip de Moll) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:41:02 PDT

With my son and two Oregon daughters, we set out on our last morning to compact as many of the varied landscapes and cultures of this large state as we could into a few hours. The day was gray and...

Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis