Becky Bennett (shown above) was one of the women featured in our Veterans film On Black Mountain.  You can see her here in our short trailer saying “I knew who I was in military.  But who am I now?”  I just learned that Becky took her own life on June 9, 2021.  It breaks my heart.  She had so much to offer, so much good yet to do.  It’s a stark reminder to us all that Veteran suicide is real and how much more has to be done to end it.  When we screen the film Veterans Day Nov. 11 at the Rafael Theater in San Rafael, CA we’ll be joined by six of her sisters from that Veterans Path workshop.  We’ll certainly take a moment to honor her memory.  My heart goes out to her husband Michael and her family.
Rebecca Ann Bennett (Wilson)
February 10, 1979 – June 9, 2021
R.I.P.

Need your faith in humanity restored?  Check out this hour long interview with Larry Hobbs – a friend and a true gem of a human being. He was the star of one of the films in my Vets series. Topics discussed in the interview: being a marine biologist, working in Antarctica, leading eco-tours worldwide, leading Vision Quest ceremonies, bringing initiation to the national 4H club, marrying at 73, the makings of a great relationship, how to face death with cancer.  What a model for a life well lived!

One of my favorite poets, Pablo Neruda, wrote an essay in the early 1950s titled “Childhood and Poetry,” found in the altogether enchanting collection Neruda and Vallejo.  You can read about a wonderful experience he had as a child that informed his reasons for making art for the rest of his life. Inspiring…