The Random Thoughts of Louis Schmier

 As I was looking at photos of my grand-daughters during their recent visit to Hawaii and thinking of Friday when Susan and I begin a week of spoiling them, I got a ding of an incoming e-mail. It was from a professor at a western university. She accused me of complicating the classroom. I could [...]

After ten years of apprenticeship, a student achieved the rank of Zen teacher. One rainy day, he went to visit a famous Zen master in another city. When he entered the house, the master greeted him with a question, “Did you leave your wooden clogs and umbrella on the porch?” “Yes, master,” he replied. “Tell [...]

Winter and Spring are engaged in interplay. The nights, getting imperceptibly shorter, are still a chilly mid to low forties, with an occasional nippy dip into the 30s. The ever lengthening days are climbing into the balmy 60s and summery high 70s. The co-eds are grasping every daylight moment to bask in dutiful worship of [...]

 The dark was beginning to loosen its grip on the eastern sky. There was a brisk high ’30s chill in the air. Birds were stirring. And, I am grounded for at least another month from power walking the pre-dawn streets. So, this morning, I was sitting on the cool front stoop, leaning against the brick [...]