An “–” Note & EXCERPTS: “Today in Rock and Roll” & “… some Powerball® thoughts” (the “missing” Sunday post) May 24, 2026

Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating and/or observing the Seventh Sunday of Pascha: The Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council and /or the Declaration of the Báb.

This is “missing” compilation post for Sunday, May 24^th, features new content and excerpts. My apologies for not posting before the practice. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra        (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).

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“What shall I do this morning? How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing…. living.”

— quoted from “Chapter Two” of  The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

At the beginning of Chapter Two of The Writing Life, Annie Dillard quoted Plato’s Symposium, in which Socrates (quoting Diotima) said, “But what if the man could see Beauty Itself, pure, unalloyed, stripped of mortality, and all its pollution, stains, and vanities, unchanging, divine,…the man becoming in that communion, the friend of God, himself immortal;…would that be a life to disregard?” The answer, of course, is no. Neither do we ignore (i.e., disregard) the beauty that comes from someone dealing with all the things we deal with as mere mortals, all the things that come with life, including morality.

Ah, mortality.

On any given day, in any given year, someone is born and someone passes away. When we mark those milestones with celebrations, what we are really celebrating is what happens in between. The en dash [–] in someone’s biography and/or obituary symbolises all that they do while living on this planet we call Earth. All the things we learn and teach; all the people we love (or not); all the things we think; and all the things we say and do are compressed into that en dash, which is longer than a hyphen [-] and shorter than an em dash [—] .

Linda Ellis wrote a famous poem about “The Dash”, which has been quoted at funerals, memorials, and other events. The dash — and what it represents — has been the inspiration for sermons, speeches, and so many songs that I’ve lost track of them. All of that work dovetails and inspires so many lives, so many dashes.

Today is the birthday of Bob Dylan (b. 1941) and the death anniversary of Tina Turner (d. 2023).

Click on the excerpt titles below for more.

Today in Rock and Roll (the Wednesday post)

FTWMI:… some Powerball® thoughts

“‘The most important thing I know I learned from Woody Guthrie,’ says Dylan, ‘I’m my own person. I’ve got basic common rights-whether I’m here in this country or any other place. I’ll never finish saying everything I feel, but I’ll be doing my part to make some sense out of the way we’re living, and not living, now. All I’m doing is saying what’s on my mind the best way I know how. And whatever else you say about me, everything I do and sing and write comes out of me.’”

— quoted from the liner notes by Nat Hentoff (from Bob Dylan’s album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “O5242026 Poems & Meditations with Bob & Tina”]

NOTE: This remix, inspired by both Bob and Tina, includes Tina Turner’s recording of her “Beyond” message (which you can also find in the first embedded link above), an interlude, and “Sound of Mystic Law: Lotus Sutra” (which I referred to as a remix version at the end of the 2026 practice). The YouTube playlist includes an extra Tina video. The extended version of Sound of Mystic Law: Lotus Sutra, which I sometimes use for my personal practice, is only available on YouTube.

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!

September 25 — 27, 2026

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