http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey RSS Feed for Inq Col Art Carey en-us Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:56:37 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20120326_Well_Being__Pickleball__It_s_a_dilly_of_a_fun_waist-whittler.html A few weeks ago, Judy Michel broke her elbow when she lunged for a drop shot and went sprawling. After an episode like that, you'd think she might take a break to let things heal. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20120312_Well_Being__A_search_for_meaning_in_the_twists_of_a_labyrinth.html At Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, on the first Tuesday of every month, they spread a large piece of canvas on the floor of Congregational Hall. Imprinted on the canvas is a pattern that replicates the labyrinth embedded in the floor of the great cathedral in Chartres, France. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20120227_Well_Being__The_payoff__ouch__from_15_minutes.html Mike Barretta is a veteran member of the Brotherhood of the Barbell. He opened one of the first free-weight gyms in South Philly back in 1981, he says, when bodybuilding was considered "uncool" and "the only people lifting weights were freaks and weirdos." One of those "freaks" was his brother Rich, who won the 1987 Mr. America title. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20120213_Well_Being__Two_slick_tools_to_clear_snow.html Winter has been so mild, with so many seductive previews of spring, that it seems churlish to suggest we may still see some snow before the first robins and dandelions. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20120130_Well_Being__For_men__a_healthy_lesson_in_listening.html One of my favorite essays by Roger Rosenblatt, one of my favorite essayists, is entitled "The Silent Friendships of Men." In it, he states that among men, "there is a wordless understanding in which we function fairly well - especially in friendships. There are a dozen guys whom I count as friends and who do the same with me, yet months pass without our speaking, and even when we do, we don't." http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20120116_Well_Being__A_teacher_with_a_passion_to_spread_peace.html When she was a girl growing up in Wynnefield, Sue Gelber's sleep was often interrupted by her father's screams as he struggled with nightmares triggered by memories of his experiences as a combat infantryman during World War II. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20120102_Well_Being__Daily_Challenge_uses_tiny_tasks_for_self-improvement.html Every morning about 7, Lou Perseghin hears a ding on his smartphone and receives an e-mail inviting him to accomplish a daily challenge designed to improve his health and well-being. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20111219_Well_Being__Temple_researcher_explores_high_blood_pressure_among_African_Americans.html Michael Brown tries to do all the right things. He exercises four times a week on an elliptical trainer at the Philadelphia Sports Club. He lifts weights to keep his muscles toned. Thanks to his wife, Tonya, a vegetarian for 14 years, Brown follows a diet that is 90 percent vegetarian. He eats plenty of vegetables and tofu, a little chicken and turkey occasionally, but no red meat. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20111205_Well_Being__A_distance_runner_from_a_family_that_s_traveled_far.html Jim Smiley is rightfully proud of his wife. After surviving the genocide of Cambodia and immigrating to the US, she has become an ultra-runner, capable of covering distances longer than a marathon, as she proved with surprising ease a couple of weeks ago. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/art_carey/20111121_Well_Being___Walks_and_Talks__rev_up_bodies__ideas.html Priscilla Sands comes from a family of hard-charging athletes, but she has always considered herself more the poetic, literary sort. Nevertheless, she played rugby in her 30s and admits to a fierce competitive streak.