Ways of Seeing
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Ways of Seeing: ‘Us vs. them’ needs to be left behind
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…
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Ways of Seeing: Make a statement, shop local
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…
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Ways of Seeing: A fresh look at Queen Esther
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…
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Ways of Seeing: Taking action, but talking kindly
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…
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Ways of Seeing: The sweetness of town meetings
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…
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Ways of Seeing: Freedom and unity forever
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…
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Ways of Seeing: Vermont spirit is one way forward
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…
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Ways of Seeing: We tolerate what others wouldn’t
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…
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Ways of Seeing: Grappling with Trump’s policies
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…
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Ways of Seeing: Who are our actual criminals?
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,…