Who are the channel markers in your life?
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Over the years I’ve had several “channel markers” of the human kind. Like keeping an eye on buoys to steer your boat safely, I watch how these people conduct some aspect of their lives that sets a standard I want to meet. Then I steer myself according to what I see in them.

​Sometimes the standard is written down, and my channel markers excel at meeting it. When raising guinea pigs, we specialized in a couple of particular breeds and colors. Our animals eventually became quite good, according to the written Standard of Perfection. But two or three breeders were justly known as the finest in the U.S. for what we raised. When given the chance, I’d watch what these breeders were showing, and use them as channel markers for my own efforts. Was the color on my animals rich enough? Could I improve the body shape? Just by doing what they did, these folks inspired me to do better.

Sometimes the standard is less clear. About 10 years ago I worked for a consultancy that applied the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to organizations. One of my co-workers had been involved in this work for many years. A Black woman, Carol approached many DEI issues with a vigor and mode of thought that never would have occurred to me. I didn’t always agree with her, but I could see how much more she knew and had experienced. So, as I did my own internal work on DEI, I’d look over to see what she was doing, how she thought about this or that, and (I hope) my own sensitivity grew.

The funny thing about my channel markers is they’re not necessarily my best friends. In some cases they’re not even alive. One of my go-to channel markers is a French nun who died some 125 years ago. If not for her penetrating autobiography, St. Thérèse of Lisieux would have been lost to history. Between that book, her letters, her last conversations, and even her poetry, she detailed a way of spirituality that I’ve drawn wisdom from for years.

Bottom line, I see something in these people that I need in my life, so I keep an eye out.

What about you? Who are your channel markers? How does keeping an eye on them guide you? Do they know they serve this role for you? 

It has been 19 months since my last blog post.

I don’t mean that as an apology. A great deal has happened in those months, and it’s turned my life into a non-blogging direction. As if that weren’t enough, the climate for authentic dialogue in the U.S. (at least) has deteriorated further, and quite honestly, it’s discouraged me. The waste of words in the public square these days is vast, and I find myself wanting to run in the opposite direction.

However…I miss the conversations with friends and colleagues. I learned a great deal from you in the process. And maybe the vast waste of words means that good words—yours and mine—are more needed than ever.

So let’s give this a go. I make no guarantees of blog frequency, or topic, or much else with regard to this blog. I do know that if it’s going to work at all, it has to begin in the depths of my own heart. That’s a pretty mysterious place, so there’s no telling what might come out. Here, however, are a few close-to-my-hearts you might see:
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• Because I’m nonbinary, issues of gender identity (including the concerns of trans people) matter deeply to me.
• Because of my spiritual practice, you may see posts drawing from the rich traditions of Christian mysticism and Zen.
• Because I struggle to manage long COVID, I may write about that, and chronic illness more generally.
• I am deeply tired of political and social issues. However, when the brouhaha over whatever issue has missed a key question, or a new way of thinking about it, I may wade into those waters.

More important: what would you like to see addressed here? What kinds of conversations would you like to have? Without the rich back-and-forths that you and others have fostered over the years, there’s not much point to a blog. So please let me know (in the Comments section, on Facebook, or by private email) what would matter to you.