In my late 20’s, after returning to the west coast from Africa, I sought a temporary job before entering graduate school. The employment office sent me to apply for clerical work with a large advertising firm in Los Angeles.  I was excited. Advertising had always interested me. For

Recently, a friend sent me a quote ascribed to the American anthropologist, Margaret Mead. It was her answer to a question that asked what constituted the first signs of civilization in a culture.  She said it would be a broken thighbone that had healed properly. In the wild, the dis

A friend at the retirement center sat down beside me one afternoon in the temporary lounge that management had arranged, its chairs set 6 feet apart.  It’s a place where residents are supposed to carry on conversations while masked. Despite her face covering, I heard a sigh as she

When Donald Trump leaves office, it will be difficult to envision how the media, cartoonists, and historians will cope.  He is one of the most colorful presidents the country has known.  Red is the hue that most comes to mind. He has executed more federal prisoners than any other of

The Biden-Trump election is over but feelings remain high.  Donald Trump diehards believe the President’s defeat will be reversed in the courts. Experts disagree. Even members of his family are urging Trump to concede.  Even so, some of my Facebook friends continue to lay out argu

Recently, the Washington Post Editorial Board made a final appeal to voters who remained undecided about the November 3, 2020, presidential election. To reelect Donald Trump would continue to erode our democracy in the way he has done during his first four years, they said. “This is

Yesterday, I had a consultation with an audiologist. I wear hearing aids.  At age 84, it’s not surprising. Even so, the man sounded apologetic when he said one day I might need a larger device, one that wasn’t as cosmic as those I now wear.  “I know people like to look their b

Much of the world remains in the thrall of Covid-19.  Not only are loved ones dying and large numbers of people unemployed, but depression is on the rise.  To glean positive news from this situation requires contortions of the mind comparable to the physical feats of a performer at

I’ve decided to take Labor Day off.  I never do, but today I need a break.  I won’t leave you without news that will make you a smile, though. If you follow this blog with some regularity, you may recall an anecdote I recorded on August 17 of this year.  It involved a young ent

I’m probably not alone in feeling straight-jacketed by Covid-19. The retirement center I call home has imposed so many restrictions, it feels difficult to breathe.  If I want coffee, I must order 15 minutes in advance. If I choose to walk in the garden, that must be prearranged, al