(Editor’s note: This is if the first in a three-part review of “Buddha.”)

Curious about the man known as the Buddha, I read three books about him, and my favorite, by far, is Karen Armstrong’s “Buddha” (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2000, 171 pp). The reviewer for The Times of London describes it like this: “A fascinating book … It is hard to imagine a clearer, more concise or more authoritative introduction to one of the world’s most influential (yet shadowy) spiritual figures.”  

There is a Cherokee legend where an elder tells his grandson a story about two wolves. It goes something like this. 

“Son, within all of us is a battle of two wolves. One is evil. He is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.”  

Hello from the depths of Panacea Coffee Company in the Historic Frog Level District of Waynesville. At the moment, I’m sitting at the prized table. If you’ve ever been to Panacea, you know which one I’m talking about, the one on the second tier, next to the big window looking down upon Richland Creek.  

It may be tempting to believe some of the claims you see on social media about buying certain supplements that can help you achieve magical longevity, but the truth is actually much more mundane. Good overall health habits will benefit you much more than stacking supplements. 

Ready to take control of your wellness? MountainWise offers the North Carolina Minority Diabetes Prevention Program to help you get ahead of type 2 diabetes. 

At 9 a.m. Wednesday, the alarm went off from the smart phone on my nightstand. Reaching for the contraption and reading the morning text messages, it appeared our weekly editorial meeting set for 10 a.m. would shift to Friday. And yet, before I could roll back over to sleep a little more, another message pinged on the phone. 

Whirlwind. Virtuoso. Rollicking. Heartfelt.

Those were some of the sentiments I had ricocheting around my mind watching Bronwyn Keith-Hynes perform earlier this winter at The Orange Peel in Asheville. A renowned fiddler/singer, Keith-Hynes is headlong into a solo career with the recent disbanding of her former band, the Grammy-winning Americana/bluegrass act Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway. 

I was once a real sucker for the New Year’s Eve hoopla — toasting with champagne and making grandiose resolutions, but the past couple of December 31sts, I’ve felt a little lackluster in terms of the anticipatory energy that typically surrounds the beginning of another year. 

The word home evokes images that go deeper than its definition “the place where one lives.” 

Home means more than a house or domicile. It speaks of a place you live, and also a place that lives within you. It can mean where you come from, a place you aspire to go or return to, and it can mean emotional connection to a living space, or land that you are connected to emotionally.

The absurdity of life, eh?   

I’m just sitting here right now at the local laundromat in West Waynesville. Simply observing and reflecting on gratitude, for nothing and everything, and everything in-between. Families sit quietly around me awaiting the wash cycle to end. It’s Sunday morning. Back to work by this time tomorrow. Spend your free time cleaning your clothes.