Multiple sclerosis is a thief, an autoimmune disease that breaks into the brain and spinal cord, stealing the life those of us who have—so far—escaped such chronic health inroads consider “normal”. No one writes about it more eloquently than Denise Brownlie. She blogs for MS Village, which graciously allowed Catching Courage to republish this...
Mark Horvath used to be invisible, back when he was homeless. He knows what it’s like when people pass by without acknowledging his humanity. Now he has a home, work, and the drive to rip away the cloak of invisibility that makes our neighbours disappear to us when they fall on hard times. He...
Preparing for the first day of 5th grade, in a school new to me, I made a resolution. From that day forward I would be called by my given name. “Cathy” is a perfectly fine nickname, but I preferred the name I was granted at birth, “Cathryn”. Mother drove me to school and introduced...
Watching someone reaching for the brass ring always intrigues me. We can ride along comfortably and manage a reasonably satisfying life, but if we dare stretch in the direction of our riskier passions we have to leave the easy path. Writers, musicians, artists and actors know this. So do athletes and scientists. And so...
When I picked up the phone, the caller identified himself as being from the Seattle university that had hired me to teach a storytelling class to education students. “We overlooked something. I’m sure we know the answer so it is just a formality.” I waited for some axe to fall, and it did. “Are...
Martin King set himself a goal for August – 100 blog posts about childhood memories in one month. Sounds like climbing Mount Rainier in one day, from sea level to over 14,000 feet. In other words, a bit of overwhelming madness. Fortunately for his sanity, and in deference to the 24-hour day, he enlisted...
On July 5th in a Melbourne hospital, a miracle slipped into the world. I know that’s true because one of her moms called me moments later to tell me I was officially “Tutu”. That’s a Hawaiian word for grandmother and will be my nickname as this most beloved of children grows. I never experienced...
The amateur photographer in me saw Rich Lam’s photograph of the kissing couple in the middle of Vancouver’s June 15, 2011, riot and thought, “Wow, lucky guy. What an incredible catch.” I was considering the photographer lucky, not the boyfriend. Canadian Alexandra Thomas and Australian Scott Jones have become media darlings as a result...
When I was growing up, I was proud to be American. I ate national pride with my breakfast cereal. I still love the country of my birth, but now I’m embarrassed by a lot of what I hear and see. Too much of what’s happening these days eats away at the values I embrace....
The statistics are staggering. Around the world there are millions of victims of sexual assaults, honour killings, gender-selective abortions, date rapes, female infanticide, and misogyny* in all its manifestations. I am one of the more fortunate of my gender. I live in a safe place, with a loving partner and male friends who are...
For over twenty years my mother did the bookkeeping for a seed company in Twin Falls, Idaho. The salary was low. Hours were long. She worked five and a half days a week and never got more than a couple weeks of vacation. I don’t know if she loved the job. I do know...
I have an almost magical belief in books. I expect to find guidance for whatever question or problem I’m wrestling with just by picking up the right book. And why not? I know I’m not the first person to go through whatever it is that’s tripping me up at any given time. While I...
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