Is There Still a Place for Heroes?

Yes, but not on pedestals of false glory. Real heroes are real people, warts and all. There’s been a lot of talk about heroes this last year. Much of it has been good, as we’ve recognized healthcare workers and first responders for going above and beyond what most of us are willing to do. But …

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This Good Little Consumer Wants Out

The pandemic has revealed to me both the pitfalls of consumerism and my slavery to it Like so many others, my job fell victim to COVID-19 and the economic repercussions. Soon burned out on the news, I spent a lot of time reading. I like history, suspense, mysteries, fantasy, and books about how the brain …

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It’s Time to Cancel Cancel Culture

We All Lose When We Don’t Allow People to Change I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s with protests, boycotts and strikes. The purpose for these activities is to effect change. And they often work. People, corporations, and governments do make changes and find alternative ways of functioning that everyone can agree on. But …

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It Didn’t Have to Happen

His name was Cristian Pavon, and he was 11 years old. He was found dead in his bed Tuesday morning, 23 February 2021, after playing in his first snow ever on Monday. It didn’t have to happen. I’ve been nursing a slow rage for a few days since I first heard this story. I learned …

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Hell Has Frozen Over in Texas

Paradise has frozen over, too, along with Notrees, Sun City, Pasadena, Miami, Cactus and Egypt. OK, in full disclosure, there is no Hell, Texas, but all those other names are legit. So, what gives? Unless you’ve been off the grid for the last 5 days (I bet even Antarctica has heard the news), every county …

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Go Fly a Kite

When was the last time someone told you to “go fly a kite”? The phrase is not as common as it once was. I don’t know if that’s because kite flying has been replaced by so many other possible activities, or if more direct phrases such as “go away” or “go to hell” have become …

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Priorities

Priorities are something we have to work at; you can’t just assume you have them in place. But often we ignore priorities as if the word itself is somehow dirty. I was brought up short this last week by an incident that reminded me of this reality. My husband decided that he wanted to buy …

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Waiting

What are you waiting for? What are you willing to wait in line for? I was waiting in line the other day, and it got me to thinking. Like so many of us, I don’t like waiting. There’s so much to do, so many other things demanding my time. Americans, at least, are not good …

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