I implore you — my neighbors — to show up for each other in whatever way you can and to avoid judging others because they may not choose to engage the way that you do right now.
With the threat of authoritarianism on the rise and daily news stories of one or another government agency being gutted by an unelected plutocrat, I am disturbed, but also aware that I can choose my emotional response. I will use my voice to express disap … (read more)
People love opposition. Whether it’s a school rivalry or a business competition, it doesn’t take much difference to turn things into “us v. them.” In fact, it doesn’t take any.
One of my first teaching positions was at a Montessori elementary school a block away from the United Nations. I was thrilled to land this job. The only hitch was my annual starting salary of $9,000. Studio apartments in that neighborhood ran around $1,50 … (read more)
We have just passed the Jewish holiday of Purim, a time to commemorate the story of Queen Esther, who saved the Jewish people by persuading her husband that his advisor, Haman, was not to be trusted. Haman had hatched a wicked plan to kill all the Jews in … (read more)
Like so many of us, anxiety for the future of our nation often haunts my sleep. I have nightmares of Trump’s Toadies and Musk’s Maggots crawling over the landscape, destroying everything I cherish as they go.
Unlike the divisive national political scene which gives me a stomachache and makes it hard for me to speak with my neighbor and another close friend, the Middlebury town meeting was like a gooey chocolate brownie to a sugar addict.
I’ve been a proud Vermonter for my entire life. I love the mountains, valleys, lakes, farms and my family history going back generations, but perhaps the thing I love most is our state motto: Freedom and Unity. In these times of intense division it helps … (read more)
As a small child, if I got hurt, one of my parents would tend to my injury. Then they would “kiss it to make it better.” Did a kiss actually fix my skinned knee? No, but it did help. I felt better with that kiss. If I got a shot at my doctor’s, they would … (read more)
In December my family took a trip to South Korea. I wanted to write about the amazing food, fantastic free museums, historic palaces and old neighborhoods, and the warm and friendly people we met. But something else happened while we were in Korea.
It has been quite an eventful few weeks, to say the least. There have been many contradictions and plenty of intense emotions—fear, anger, and probably for some, even joy. For me, it has been a real struggle.
Recently I read a statistic that really blew my mind. If you add up all the theft that happens in the U.S. annually, shoplifting, car break-ins, robberies, burglaries, the total amount is not even 4% of what employers steal from workers each year.
Recently, my cell phone stopped receiving texts and phone calls. Because I have a landline, I was able to call my service provider to get help. Like most telecommunications company, mine offers an online knowledge base and a chat feature, but I wanted to … (read more)
This fall my sister drove up for a visit. The leaves were gorgeous. We took golden crisp walks in Lincoln and Bristol and ate heartily from our garden’s harvest.
It’s dangerous to speak too freely around this house. Drop an unguarded “walk” or “go out” and our collie, sleeping peacefully by the fire, transforms into a leaping, barking maniac. Say “treat” in the wrong tone of voice and he’ll caper in front of you l … (read more)
