John Otterbacher
Author, Speaker and Adventurer

Health / Heart

My-Fathers-Grace

A Father’s Grace

     My heart is talking to me tonight. The ache in my chest takes me back to my father, an evening together twenty years ago. We are watching TV in my parent’s living room. Dad’s heart is damaged but

Read More »
Image of scotch tape on cut

Scotch Tape

SCOTCH TAPE?      When I swing into a parking lot to turn around, my boot slides on loose gravel.  My bike and I pitch to the left and over, my helmet hard against the asphalt.  I kill the engine, crawl

Read More »
Sunset sky with clouds photo

What I Control

     Weather has a way of putting self-importance in its place – TV forecasters with their brave assuredness, even the most seasoned sailor or cyclist in a great storm on the open expanse.      What do you really control?  To

Read More »
View of a lake from the woods

While You Can

Excerpt 3 from What Remains: It’s moving up on ten o’clock. Time to get on my way if I’m going.   I clean up the kitchen and pull on a boot, lace it up and pull on the other.  

Read More »

HEART

My father’s world bursts into flames, larger and larger doses of medicine in a losing battle with Parkinsons. His hand flutters up from rest in his lap, gesturing in alarm at the eruption of flames on the rug in front

Read More »