If you’ve returned to this blog page more than once, congratulations. You’re an intelligent reader. At least, that’s what my computer’s editor says. When I compose, I’m forever being red flagged for sentences that are too long and paragraphs that are too complex. So
Late one afternoon, a friend came to visit at the retirement center. He’s a brainy fellow so our conversations often wander into curious places. At one point, I recall saying I thought human consciousness might be one way the universe keeps track of itself. I’d meant it as a
I love Russian literature. Much of it is pessimistic, of course. If a bright future lies ahead, it will come in another lifetime. Certainly, that’s the view of Anton Chekhov. (Click) At the very least, I find this point of view eccentric. A Russian countess in Dostoevsky’s
When I turned 39, I received my first letter from AARP. Looking down at the envelope, I was stunned. Me? Middle Aged? There’d been a mistake. If my response seemed melodramatic, then, imagine how I reacted when a crematorium invited me to lunch, recently. My heart stopped.
In 1961, in his farewell address to the nation as our 34th President, Dwight Eisenhower warned that “we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.” (Click) His words are often repeated, a reminder
Despite the high critical praise he receives, I’ve always felt Ernest Hemingway was an overrated writer. Maybe his chauvinistic sweat offends me. That shouldn’t be a reason for shunning his art, of course, but it does explain why his female characters are so flat and docile
The saying is, “opposites attract.” It’s true for me when I meet someone who is talented yet self-effacing. By contrast, I’m all bangles, spangles and show-biz beads. Lemme hear that roar! I suppose growing up as an only child of divorced parents and living in poverty
Despite what members of the alt-right might believe, I’ve always known diversity makes America great. People come to our country to pursue their dreams and we, also immigrants, have learned to accommodate the different lifestyles and views they bring. In periods of economic or
Sometimes, in the late afternoons, a woman comes down from the second floor of the retirement center to sit in our small café. She always orders a glass of white wine. With the chilled liquid in front of her, she gazes into the tall trees that sway outside the picture windows.
Recently, I wrote a blog that expressed a belief the nation would rebound from its current nationalist contraction and emerge as a more inclusive society. (Click) During the interim, the danger is that we lose faith in our nation and its institutions. My hope for the future may