Civility May Never Come Back to Our Neighborhoods

But can you at least MYOB? Having written about this in various places multiple times since 2015, it’s really getting old. People seem to think this is a nice community and in many neighborhoods, it probably is. But around here, people are far too busy poking their noses into everyone … Read more…

Recommended Reading for Those with Itchy Fingers

The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark is a classic that began a new genre. This novel was sometimes called the first modern western novel because it doesn’t rely on formulaic stories. Many readers were, and are, startled by its philosophical depth. But even those people who aren’t deep … Read more…

Just Hangin’ in There

When someone asks how we’re doing, we frequently answer, “Oh, hangin’ in there.” We can’t go deeper without burdening the sometimes casual questioner. Even when the question is sincere, it usually takes too much of our limited energy to explain what’s going on, especially for an introvert. More so, if … Read more…

Why I See the World the Way I Do

Had I grown up as a privileged child, my empathy for those suffering would have remained dormant, I’m sure. Instead, my siblings and I grew up poor. Furnishings were sparse in our rented housing. The one birthday party we hosted was a nightmare of embarrassment. I also endured the taunts … Read more…

Most People Are Amazing!

Even in the middle of swirling chaos, our world is full of amazingly kind people. Their overflowing hearts are so huge they come close to crushing the actions of jerks, idiots, and the flat-out evil people. Big-hearted folks can’t completely neutralize the horrible things perverts do to other people, God’s … Read more…

We Only Have Today But…

There is so much we can do with today! We need to treasure all 24 hours, even if we’re being ripped regularly by people so mentally rigid that they might as well have a broomstick up their backsides. We need to count our blessings even when our lives are so … Read more…

The Laws of Motion

Sir Isaac Newton (born in 1642) was probably the most renowned English scientist of all time, with an immense body of work and influence that continues more than three centuries after his life on earth. No, he wasn’t born in Hampshire or Dorset but in Lincolnshire. He is, however, buried at Westminster … Read more…

Most People Are Good Drivers

If you think about the last time you were in traffic, you may not consider most people to be good drivers, that’s for sure! I’m the first to holler when I see an unthinking driver cut off another vehicle, especially when the vehicle cut off is a tanker hauling flammable … Read more…

50 Years From Now

None of us know what the world will be like in 50 years and most can’t even imagine it. Will we even care then what legacy we have left behind us? I hope so! Those of us alive even less than 50 years ago have seen astonishing changes in medicine, … Read more…

Not Always What They Seem

While tossing dangerously outdated canned goods into the trash bins at the curb, I happened to overhear two of my quieter neighbors arguing on the sidewalk in front of their house. I didn’t stay out there to hear more and I can’t repeat the words I did hear. They’re no … Read more…