Articles List View

Open The Box Dedicated to All Fathers by John Meador So one hot August morning, a Saturday yard work day, I was up at 7 am. Knowing it was going to be an all-day affair in the yard, I was ready to go. Also this was the day my son Chris (now “Courageous Coyote”) was going to help me. He went out the night before, promising to help me do yard work on Saturday for the money he needed to go out with on Friday. The skeptic in side of me (the JUDGE) knew he would try to get out of ...

I Was a Soldier Once by Marion Wehmeyer, Vets’ Journey Home Weekend, September 2007 “I love the Lord because he hears and answers my prayers.” Psalm 116:1. I was a soldier once Proud and true, Who served my country Like so many do. I faced danger on the battlefield, Risked life and limb, Suffered mentally too! My cause was for justice to prevail, Even though I was brought To the gates of hell. I was a soldier once, Right out of school; Young and ...

The Elder Voice Grateful for Everything by Luis Bautista and Lamont Grogan There seems to be consensus in the minds of most people that gratitude facilitates a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment with life. Expressions of gratitude affirm abundance and the wonder of being alive and the presence of so many resources life provides us. How can a Warrior grow in his feeling of gratitude? What practice might deepen a core belief that is rooted in abundance, good fortune, and ...

Interview with Ken Rogers [Ken “Ancient Hawk” Rogers, an NWTA weekend leader emeritus, has lived in Houston with his wife Billi since 1977. He did his weekend in August of 1991 at Haimowoods. His daughter Sonya is a member of Woman Within, and his son-in-law, John Meador, is a Warrior who also has an article in this issue of the DRUM. Ken’s grandson, Chris Thralls, and his father Bob Thralls have both done the training. We asked Ken to tell us a little bit about his enthusiasm for ...

From the Editor by Mike “Lionman” Leone Greetings to all, and I hope you had a great holiday. A few years ago I shared with my I-Group that I had managed to do most of the things with my life that I wanted to do, which was not bad for someone only in his early 50s. I still had three things left on my list and one of them was to do more traveling. I have indeed gotten to do a fair amount of travel during my lifetime, and just about all of it has been related to what others have ...

Tribute to Walter Stauble by John “Loveable Snake” Slaby Nine years ago I took a big step on my journey to being a better man and signed up for a men’s weekend. There I met many men on a similar journey. One man on this same path wore his scars both outside and in. And so Walter came into my life. Over the years, on and off, we traveled this path together. We traveled this path to learn to love ourselves so that we could give love unconditionally, accept ourselves and mirror ...

Community Gathering Looks at Possible New Direction for New Warrior Community by Mike “Lionman” Leone, DRUM Editor On Saturday, January 5, the first community gathering of 2008 was held at the New Warrior lodge. Led by Board of Directors Chair Mel Taylor, the first part of the meeting emphasized the many positive strides made by our community in 2007, including our new-found financial stability. In stark contrast to our situation at this time last year, we find ourselves in much better ...

From the Editor by Mike “Lionman” Leone I am happy that you are holding in your hands the second issue of the DRUM since I have stepped back in as editor. It is still my intention to have the issues come out the same month as the season changes, i.e., March, June, September and December. And while you are receiving this issue in December, this is actually the issue I would have wanted you to see in December. If things go according to plan, the winter 2007-08 issue should be out ...

Keynote by Doug von Koss World Elder Gathering IV in Houston, Texas Oct. 26, 2007 Thank you, Phil [Hart], for that awesome introduction. When I was asked several months ago if I would say a few words to a gathering of World Elders from the Mankind Project I said “yes” with a sense of adventure and joy and a certain sense of risk-taking. My comfort zone is music and poetry in community...not public address. In the interest of total transparency, if I were wearing boots ...

Live Big, Fear Big, Love Big Paralysis or Action? Doubt or Faith? Cowardice or Courage? Pessimism or Optimism? Mistrust or Trust? Caution or Risk? Atrophy or Growth? Fear or Love? The journey into our inner worlds requires courage, openness and surrender. Because the inner world is a world of shadows, subconsciousness, emotions and early programming, continuous work is needed in order to achieve deep discovery and illumination of my inner forces. Not ...

Inside Every Man by Jim “Worthy Wolf” Wheeler, Teller of Tales Inside every man There is a great deed Like the wise mighty oak That he planted from seed Inside every man There is a great thinking He may know it by now Or he may have no inkling Inside every man There is a great spirit If he just gets quiet Then he will hear it Ancient Forest By Wayland Matthew Fox I am tired of this lonely world of cities; Of concrete ...

My Contribution by Doris O’Brien Honor, courage, healing, safety, sacrifice, unconditional love, compassion, gratitude, trust. These are only a few of the words that come to mind as I reflect on my staffing the Vets’ Journey Home weekend. My intention when I went to staff the weekend was to support the work and perhaps share my experience of what it was like to be a military wife during the time of the Viet Nam war. When I met the other staff I was struck by ...

Diversity/Multiculturalism: Confessions and Observations from an MKP Multicultural Coordinator by Lenny “Free Golden Lion” Hoffman, MKP Multicultural Coordinator, Houston Community On a recent trip to South Africa, I became more aware that my enthusiasm for diversity work probably comes from my own shadows around various prejudices that surfaced on this very difficult trip. With early airport arrivals, security check points, delays in flights, airline changes, 17-hour ...

Praying My Way Back into the Circle by Luis Batista and Lamont Grogan Our Warrior Weekend was memorable for the realizations we came to, the powerful emotions we felt, and in the learning of a new way to think about ourselves and other men. One such memorable learning was the realization of the importance of accountability in our lives. Accountability fosters trust and trust lights the way to connection, love and accomplishment. It all starts with accountability ...

Viet Nam by Sam Luna - vetsjourneyhome.org After participating in the first Vets’ Journey Home Weekend in April 2005 my view of Viet Nam started to change. I had heard vets talk about visiting the place and knew that there must have been something wrong with a Viet Nam Veteran who wanted to return. I first realized my view had changed in October 2005 while in the PTSD Program at the VA Hospital in North Little Rock. My best friend, Richard Beck, a priest, called to tell ...

Questions Regarding the Houston MKP Center Submitted by Ken Rogers [Editor’s Note: Ken Rogers, who did his weekend in August of 1991 at Haimowoods, recently submitted the following list of questions to the Houston leader body. The leaders suggested forwarding the questions to the community via the DRUM. They are at this point food for thought, possibly topics for discussion at I-Groups, at our Town Hall Meetings and other large gatherings, or even for discussion in the DRUM. ...

A Tribute to MKP Houston by Bob “PerfectStorm with ThunderHeart” Wuest It hit me out of the blue, like a ton of bricks. I had lived in Michigan for 25 years, and had no thoughts of leaving. But five months after being initiated, I found myself moving to Houston. The lady I expected to spend the rest of my life with was originally from Houston. She had moved to Michigan two and half years before, to live with me. Now her family in Texas needed her back. It was ...

The Invitation It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love for your dream for the adventure of being alive. It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon... I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow if you have been ...

Inside Every Man by Jim “Worthy Wolf” Wheeler, Teller of Tales Inside every man There is a great deed Like the wise mighty oak That he planted from seed Inside every man There is a great thinking He may know it by now Or he may have no inkling Inside every man There is a great spirit If he just gets quiet Then he will hear it 2007

Dark Caverns Ring the Sands of Passing Loves by Kim Sawyer Cacophony of tinkling, clinking – Small dings, each ringing for brief, small sparkling moments. Before some dark liquid reality transforms and damps down, Fade to black - “-Plink.” Litany of delicately haunting Resonance reminds. Each individual surgical slice of razor-like painlessness finds some old, long-forgotten terror. Leaves it humming naggingly. Unnerving Pyrex tuning ...