Life – a cup at a time
No one seems to take jury duty seriously anymore, including the U.S. Senate. When I tell people that I’ve been summoned for jury duty, I get one (or both) of two reactions: “You poor thing,” and “Here’s how to get out of it.” On the other end of the spectrum, the Senate leadership has already …
As both a Christian and an American, I firmly believe in the separation of Church and State. Please hear me out. We are nearing Thanksgiving in the U.S. and are surrounded by reminders of the Pilgrims sitting down with their new neighbors to give thanks for surviving to that point. It’s easy to forget why …
On August 31, 2019, my path crossed that of a mass killer. I live in Odessa, Texas, and was in the shopping area where most of the random shooting took place. Going from store to store on a hunt for a new outdoor grill, five minutes later at one intersection — or earlier at another …
He should never have been in this part of the city, but his pickup had inhaled gas while sitting in the backup from an accident, and the man wasn’t sure he could make it much further. He grabbed the first exit he saw. It took longer to find a gas station than he had figured. …
Why are people so passionate about walls? In an age of airplanes, drones, mass media, and the internet, physical walls are obsolete in the face of terrorists and opposing ideas. But walls abound, between nations, between neighbors, and within our own selves. As a child, I grew up learning that emotions weren’t allowed. “Quit crying, …
Whether facing a hurricane and flood, wildfire, volcano, loss of a job, or flat tire, we all have moments when we feel helpless. But I maintain we aren’t as helpless as we think. Often our cultural stereotypes are to blame. I’ve met countless men working away from home who are clueless when it comes to …
“Never again.” Loaded with nuance, I have a hard time with these words. I first encountered them as a slogan in 1977, while visiting Masada in Israel. Masada is the mountain site of one of King Herod’s palace complexes, better known these days as the site where Israelite resistance fighters had taken refuge from the …
The American Dream is dead. That’s what we’re hearing, from blue-collar workers to university professors to immigration lawyers. Is it really? Certainly, it’s become harder to immigrate to this country. And it’s also become harder to achieve home-ownership, living debt free and retiring comfortably. And the news constantly bombards us with pictures of angry, disenfranchised …
‘Tis the season for flag waving, and with all the discussion in the news about patriots and “un-patriots” (I prefer non-patriot), this is a good time to reflect on what patriotism is – and what it isn’t. Most agree that someone who has served honorably in the military is a patriot. Those willing to die …
Walls come in various shapes, sizes and types. And even though creatures such as termites and bees also use them in making their hives, walls have become a defining element for humankind. Archaeologists get all excited when they find walls at a dig. Why? Because they indicate an element of permanence. Instead of roaming with …