Tuesday, November 10, 2009

What an amazing weekend at the 16th annual Mentone Mens’ Gathering.
We discussed many things. One issue that came up numerous times is elegant endings as this was the last Mentone conference.

John Lee did a great job helping us feel instead of just think during the weekend. John’s opinion is that movement creates emotion. We did a few different exercises to help us move and feel.

Doug Von Koss was amazing as usual leading us in song. Singing with a group, feeling the vibration is causes, hollering the words, has always been a great joy of mine. A simple chant of “we will remember” helped me to get out of my head and into my heart with my feelings about this change at Mentone and with Robert Bly.

Jeffery Duvall has a way of creating a safe container that is rare. My thanks to him for helping us to move in the direction we needed even if that was not comfortable.

Robert Bly is such a force in this world. He read many new pieces that were striking. Something seemed different about many of them. It is difficult to explain. There was a plainness, bluntness, a sense of strength. He was funny as usual. He made comments about tits, he was a smart ass with John, a couple times he said he didn’t believe something he had written.

Here is something I wrote inspired by the weekend.

Movement Creates Emotion

Squeeze my fingers and see if
the snaggle toothed demon will come out to play.
Or perhaps the time has arrived for your angel
to step from the shadow of shame
and bless you.
Stand up, take the arm of a man
you do not know and walk in the sunshine.
The piercing siren of fear will only
Grow quiet in the face of courage.
What passes between mens’ arms
could make it all the way to
the molten place at the core.
Then there will be no end to the tears.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Hello Gents,
It has been some time since we have had a new posting.

The organizing work for the 15th annual NC Spring Mens Gathering has started and we are very excited that this event continues. We will be gathering again in April of 2010 in Eflin NC.

Next week, John Lee will be hosting the Mentone Men’s conference in Menton AL. I will be attending. John says that it may be the last year for this conference. It is sad to think that such a wonderful event will stop but as Dr. Seuss said, “smile because it happened, don’t cry because it is over.”

Finally, under the category of “In the News”, I saw today that there is a new book being released regarding men. Here is a link http://www.projo.com/books/content/artsun-goodmen_11-01-09_DMG60RP_v34.12ea666.html.
“The Good Men Project,” a collection of stories by men, for men, about men.
Here is quote from Bryan Rourke, the author of the article.

“Sometimes when men share their feelings they’re regarded with variations of ” weakness. People will say, ‘You (insert epithet here).’
Horwitz shared anyway. And the book did get published, eventually.
“It was a hard sell,” says James Houghton, one of book’s three editors. “That was the message that publishers made very clear very early.”
So organizers of the book organized themselves into the Good Men Foundation, and published the paperback ($14.99) and a companion DVD ($14.99) themselves, with an official release date of Nov. 15.

Monday, August 3, 2009

The loss of a dear friend

We received a note this morning about the passing of a dear friend from the NC Spring Gathering.

Michael (“Mustard Man”) Porter, 71-year-old, after enduring months of agony with metastatic bone cancer, died tonight of a pulmonary thrombosis in the Farmington (CT) hospital.

He had many great memories of his times with us at the Gatherings, and he made many friends there.

Michael's brothers are on the road now going to CT. We wish them a safe and speedy trip. For those of us who have driven in Richmond and DC you know that they could use some positive thoughts.

Michael really enjoyed life. He was easy to smile and loved hearing and telling a good joke. I remember a few years back there were a number of us down at the pond during the Gathering. We started sharing jokes and Michael was having a great time. Michael and all his brothers have a sense of self confidence and self deprication that I admire.

I was thinking of sharing a poem that shed some mystic light on death and then I realized that just didn't feel right for Michael. So here is one that I enjoy by William Stafford. The Porter brothers often shared family stories and this is a family story that makes me smile.

A Family Turn

All her kamikaze friends admired my aunt,
their leader, charmed in vinegar,
a woman who could blaze with such white blasts
as Lawrence's that lit Arabia.
Her mean opinions bent her hatpins.

We'd take a ride in her old car
that ripped like Sherman through society:
Main Street's oases sheltered no one
when she pulled up at Thirty-first
and whirled that Ford for another charge.

We swept headlines from under rugs, names
all over town, which I learned her way, by heart,
and blazed with love that burns because it's real.
With a turn that's our family's own,
she'd say, "Our town is not the same" -

Pause - "And it's never been."

My thoughts are with the Porter family.

(posted by ethan)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Mentone registration is open

Hello Gents,
The details for the 2009 Mentone Mens' Gathering have been posted on their web page www.mentonemen.com. The dates are November 6 - 9 2009.
I have attended this event in the past and it is a wonderful time. Most the time is spent in a panel format with the speakers discussing issues with the whole group.
The drive from the Triangle area is a pleasure in itself. Mentone is a small town in northern Alabama.

Have a wonderful summer.

(Posted by Ethan)

Monday, July 6, 2009

I am still reading the book about passivity. I am struggling to find the right words to describe it. This morning I came by a poem by Bill Stafford that hits on this issue of passivity. In particular the idea that we become attached to certain emotional responses to life that we experienced as a child. These responses may not serve us and they may hide the truth and power that resides within us, yet we remain attached to these responses.

Turn Over Your Hand
Those lines on your hand, they can be read
for a hidden part of your life that only
those links can say – nobody’s voice can
find so tiny a message as comes
across your hand. Forbidden to complain,
you have tried to be like somebody else,
and only this fine record you examine
sometimes like this can remember where
you were going before that long
silent evasion that your life became.

If you are forbidden to complain then how are those feelings going to come out?
“silent evasion” – that sure rings true. I’ll just keep my mouth shut and move along.

Posted by Ethan

Thursday, July 2, 2009

John Lee

Greetings Blog readers,
I wanted to let you know what our friend John Lee is up to these days. He is doing a number of workshops and weekend retreats this year. Here is a link to his web site - http://www.flyingboy.com/

John Lee has been doing workshops of late about passivity. This is a curious topic. I am currently reading a book by Peter Michaelson, The Phantom of the Psyche – Freeing Ourself From Inner Passivity. I will write more about it later after it makes more sense to me.


Just to highlight some of John’s work –
He will be at the Unity church in Greensboro the weekend of July 11 and 12.

Friday, July 10, 2009, 7 - 9:30 p.m.
More Intimacy, Passion and Communication Whether you are single, married, divorced, gay or straight, man or woman you can acquire information, insights and tools to help you become the person you always wanted to be in relationships. You can learn to pay attention to your lover's longings in ways not taught to most of us until now.

Saturday, July 11, 2009, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
A day long workshop for men that will focus on enhancing and increasing the ability to identify feelings and express all emotions appropriately and at the same time be able to be attentive to the feelings and emotions others are expressing.

John has also written his first piece of fiction.
When the Buddha Met Bubba

This is the heart-warming story of Billy Bob (Bubba) Coker, a redneck who reached rock bottom, until a freak head injury results in the appearance of his own personal Buddha. From that moment forward, Bubba is led on a humorous journey of introspection through the backwoods of the deep South and through his own flawed preconceptions and relationships.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Independence Day weekend.
Ethan

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

W. S. Merwin

Last week on Bill Moyer’s Journal on PBS he interviewed the Pulitzer Prize winning poet W. S. Merwin. I admit I have never heard of him before. It was a joy listening to him.
He spoke of the power of poetry and what it has to offer to us. Of the many topics, they spoke about the magic of Shakespeare.

He talked about a poem ‘working’. He speaks about the idea that when a poem works then there are no words that can be changed. This caught me because words that don’t work often jump out at me in my own work. Not until I change that word am I happy with the line.

He talks about loss, grief and lament. They discuss a poem about a father and his grown son visiting. The father thinks that the son wants to leave and even though the son does not need to leave, he does. He laments that decision.

Here is one piece that he read on the show. The formatting is mine.



Youth
Through all of youth I was looking for you
Without knowing what I was looking for
Or what to call you
I don’t think I even knew I was looking
Would I have known you when I saw you as I did
Time after time when you appeared to me
As you did
Naked, offering yourself entirely at that moment
And you let me breath you, touch you, taste you,
Knowing no more than I did
And only when I began to think of losing you
Did I recognize you
When you were already part memory
Part distance
Remaining mine in the ways that I learned to miss you
From what we can not hold the stars are made

You can get Bill Moyer's show on podcast, either video or audio. That is how I listen to it since his show is on too late for me.

posted by Ethan

Monday, June 1, 2009

Drum Building Workshop (6-20-09)

Honey in the Heart Drum Company
Date: June 20 - 21, 2009
Raleigh, NC
Drum Building Workshop

Join Tom Harris for an exciting weekend of drum building. During this two day workshop, participants will be introduced to the joy of building a West African drum. All tools and materials are provided. Choose one of the following drums to build:

Ashiko - this Nigerian hand drum is a tapered cylinder with a goat skin across the large end. Dimensions are 12'” x 7" x 26". The drum shell is made from 18 wooden staves. The head is mounted using the Mali weave.

Dun Dun or Sangban - These Malinke drums form the bottom of the djembe ensemble. They are built Guinea style - Dun Duns are 15"x27", and Sangbans are 12"x22". They are constructed of 27 and 21 wooden staves, respectively. They have thick West African cow skins for heads and are played with a stick.

Djembe - The shells for this Malinke drum are from the Ivory Coast. Drum shells are imported, and participants re-finish them and mount the heads on themselves. New rings, rope and goat skins are provided.

This weekend workshop is intense and joyful. While Tom is able to share the experience and skill he has acquired from building over 1000 drums since 1996, each person is faced with a significant challenge to bring their first drum to completion. Most people finish the weekend feeling a deep sense of satisfaction while also feeling like they have finished the equivalent of a marathon. It is also a strong bonding experience for the participants who have shared this process.

Saturday

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Oil and wax. Wrap rings with fabric, tie cradle loops around rings.

1 PM – 4:00 PM Lace on skins, pre-tighten skins and level rings, shave heads.

Sunday

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pull vertical ropes tight, tie diamonds to tune the drum, re-shave head, add handle and strap.


Drum Order Form

Workshop Date: _ Date: June 20-21,2009


Name________________________________________________________


Address______________________________________________________


Phone_______________________ Email____________________


Drum Type (except for djembe, indicate paduk (bright orange), purple heart, bloodwood, cherry or black walnut for wood)

Wood Type

Ashiko ________ $240 _____________

Super Dununba $475 _____________ (18”x36”)

Dununba _______ $395 _____________ (15 1/2” x27”)

Sangban _______ $375 _____________

Kenkini_________ $350 _____________

Djembe _______ $340

Decorative Metal Work $75 ________

Guinea Wrap (red/green/gold) $75 ______

For more information, contact:

Tom Harris
5014 Lakemont Drive
Douglasville, GA 30135
cell – 770-843-3556
email tomharris57@comcast.net

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Joshua Project Rites of Passage Summer 2009

Any men interested in mentoring younger ones into manhood encouraged to consider the following:

2009 Rites-of-Passage Camp
for Young Men (13-19)
June 28 - July 5
Welcoming Weekend
for Adult Men
July 3 - 5
Camp Grier, near Old Fort, NC
Joshua Project
This camp is designed especially to help usher boys toward a mature and generous manhood, with the support of a community of soulful men (including fathers and male relatives) interested in offering a meaningful initiatory experience for young men.
One week in a beautiful, natural setting with rustic accommodations
Experiential learning about the tenets of mature manhood, community councils, survival skills, group-designed rituals, relationship skill-building, arts/crafts, music AND including a 24-hour solo Vision Fast
Not your typical summer camp, but rather an experience for young men to intentionally step toward an authentic sense of themselves as men-in-the making
Costs: $650./young man ($600. if reg by 6/1)
Partial scholarships available, please inquire
$150./adult men (for weekend)
Registration of Young men must be before June 14,
as preparations are necessary (Deposit of $125)
Adult men may register until June 27th (Deposit of $75).
Deposit to: The Joshua Project 3214 Stoneybrook Rd. Charlotte, NC 28205
Call 704-342-3456 (Philip Loydpierson, Director) for information
Mission Statement: The Joshua Project is dedicated to providing meaningful rites-of-passage experiences for young men moving into manhood, to exploring the meaning of mature masculinity with men and boys, and to providing a vehicle to encourage adult-youth mentoring relationships. While the Joshua Project forwards no particular religion or creed, it is dedicated to the encouragement of spiritual practices that inform a man's authentic nature.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Hello Gents,
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Spring.

Below is some information about workshops being done by John Lee the author of Flying Boy. I have attended a mens' weekend with John as one of the leaders. He does an excellent job as the leader of workshops. I hope some of you will consider attending one of these workshops. The workshops are at a place called Hawkwind in northern Alabama.
I hope to attend the one in July and possibly October.
If the links below don't work then you can go to johnleebooks.com.

(posted by Ethan)

New Workshops for Men from John Lee
If you can't view html emails, click here.
Men's Weekends at Hawkwind
with John Lee, Tarwater and Others
PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE 3 MEN'S WEEKENDS AT HAWKWIND IN 2009:
March 27-29 • July 24-26 • October 2-4
Read full brochure
Join John Lee for a series of three unforgettable men’s only workshops at Hawkwind.
Now you can experience John’s work in the beautiful and natural small group setting that Hawkwind offers. Take a deeper journey into the wounds, wonder, anger, grief and joy that comes from being a healthy man in the 21st Century.
MARCH 27-29, 2009
Beginning or Continuing the Journey Inward
Exploring and explaining the father-son and mother-son relationships and how they impact the development of all our relationships, our masculinity, careers and the way we give love (or don’t) and receive love (or don’t) to the degree we long for.
A deeper understanding of the male psyche and soul as it relates to the way we were fathered or not
What shut men down in the first place
What it takes to open back up.
Register Now
JULY 24-26, 2009
Men and their Struggle with Intimacy
Men and their held in, repressed, bottled up or explosive anger can have very negative consequences if not expressed appropriately on a regular basis. Unexpressed anger turns into rage and chronic emotional tension which robs us of valuable energy, vitality, and health, and thus can lead to us not only hurting ourselves, but also those we love or work with.
This is a safe, supportive, non-shaming setting to do anger work and grief work (they go hand-in-hand), whether it is dealing with loss, death, divorce, disease or childhood trauma. Grieving is a key to healing.
Register Now
OCTOBER 2-4, 2009
Boys to Men to Elders: Understanding Emotional Regression & Passivity
This weekend we will explore and expand the term “regression”—the best kept secret in Psychology and Recovery and passivity—the compulsion to be attached to not having the things we say we really want and desire which keeps men living a half-lived life, half in and half out of relationships and not being able to commit to their own creativity.
During this down-to-earth, fast-paced workshop you will:
Learn why we regress and what to do about itIdentify the red flags of regression
Explore the five things that will grow you or your client back up every time
Examine the causes and pre-conditions for regression
Experience the grace in regression
Register or Get More Info Now