The Wild Reed: Out and About

With the winter solstice just around the corner, it feels like a good time to look back on the autumn just past with the latest installment of The Wild Reed’s “Out and About” series.

So without further ado, here’s a review of the people, places, and experiences that were most meaningful to me in the autumn of 2022.

Above: With my dear friend Joan – Saturday, October 1, 2023. We’re at a party celebrating our mutual friend John’s birthday.

Back in 2015, Joan accompanied me on a visit back to Australia. For photos and commentary on the wonderful time we shared, click here.

Above: Some of my fellow members of Mercy Hospital’s Palliative Care team – October 4, 2022. We're celebrating our colleague Steph’s birthday. From left: Maddie, Kate, Steph, and Jenna.

Mercy’s Palliative Care team is comprised of incredibly competent and caring health care professionals, and I’m honored to be the interfaith spiritual care provider (or chaplain) on this team. It’s a position I've had since the autumn of 2018.

Above: At La Casita Mexican Restaurant in Coon Rapids with my work colleagues and friends – Wednesday, October 25, 2022.

From left: Kari, Amy, Jenna, Steph, me, Nikki, Maddie, and Kate. . . . Yes, we’re a great team!

Above: I’ve become friends with many wonderful people at Mercy Hospital, including Allan and Aaron who work in the coffee shop.

Sadly, both guys left Mercy at the end of autumn. Shortly after, Aaron texted me the following message.

We really did appreciate your company and compassion, Michael. You are such a true soul, among so much negativity that was surrounding us. I’m not lying when I say Allan and I enjoyed every second we had with you and relished every conversation and interaction with you. . . . You, Michael, were the closest and realest individual we talked to. . . . Allan and I both loved you and your presence. Every time you showed up in the coffee shop and we got excited to see you, that wasn’t a facade. We genuinely were excited to see you. We both had very little to be excited about in that place, but people like you kept us afloat.

Above and below: Alan and Aaron perform in an alt-rock band, and I was one lucky guy to get to see them perform on the evening of Thursday, November 12, 2022.

Above: Autumn in Minnesota. For more images of autumn beauty, click here and here.

Above: My best mate Deandre – October 1, 2022.

Above: The celebrations for my 57th birthday got off to an early start with a wonderful breakfast with my friend Abdulrahman at Heal Mpls (Minneapolis) on October 12, 2023.

Above: A visit to the Prayer Tree on my 57th birthday – Sunday, October 23, 2022.

For my special birthday post featuring more photos of the various get-togethers I had with friends, along with a beautiful song by Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri, click here.