I wish that when we talk about polarization we were only talking about how to protect polar bear habitats in the Arctic. But, alas, now the term’s most common meaning refers to the act of dividing, often people and opinions, into completely separate groups. We’ve gone binary in the U.S. This applies to today’s workplace … Read more
“Empathy may be the single most important quality that must be nurtured to give peace a fighting chance.” ~ Arundhati Ray Like many people taking stock of difficult social/cultural issues, I’ve begun to take stock of my own quotient of empathy—the recognition of the common humanity of a person or persons. I thought it might … Read more
I was never a reader of what my mother called “the little paper” and surprised that The National Enquirer is still going strong. And, then again, I’m not surprised given the quality of journalism, shouting-match referees i.e., tv commentators, and hyped stories that may or may not be true. The “enquiring minds want to know” … Read more
I’m writing this on the eve of another Fourth of July and dreading it even more. If I wouldn’t feel completely silly waving sparklers like a baton twirler, I might be more enthusiastic. I can still feel those pinpricks on my bare arms so many years ago. The list of friends who have to flee … Read more
I didn’t know until 1965, when I arrived in California, that I grew up in a place that didn’t count for much–Missouri. Not as good as Wisconsin with their cheese or Minnesota of ten-thousand lakes. We had the Big Muddy that only Tom Sawyer and Huck could love. And, yet a cut above our neighbor … Read more
Mom at age 97 I admit to being on the fence about Mother’s Day. I have yet to find a card I think captures my feelings on that particular May day. I know the card industry would disagree. Since my mother passed away I only glimpse the long racks of cards now: mostly light-handed humor … Read more
In 1981 I lived and worked in a tiny village in Kenya for a summer. I’m not sure how much of a difference I and my nine colleagues made during our time there—all of us in graduate school—but the villagers changed me forever. I had never read much about Africa unless Out of Africa and … Read more
Many years ago I was living in Amherst, MA and at my regular haunt—the café on Main Street. I always walked by the Emily Dickinson Museum first for inspiration before I began my scribblings. The truth is that I’d just come out of the bathroom and could hear a cluster of teenage girls sitting in … Read more
For whatever reason—vacation or business—do you arrive at a new town or area of the country and play the “What would it be like to live here” game? I still do even though I’m finally settled in my hometown. What elements draw us to a certain place? Friendly people? For me once it was the … Read more
