“I’m in a haunted place, and every day is a new one.”
Ed Madden
This quote is from a FaceBook post by my friend, Ed Madden, whose evocative poetry finds its way into his everyday conversations. In this instance, he was describing his stay with his aging parents in rural Arkansas, where he grew up. It is a recognition of how the past waits for us to rediscover it, as we make geographical or emotional journeys to visit where we have been. (more…)
“This is where I get most of my negative thinking done.”
New Yorker cartoon of a woman showing buyers her home office
Economically and environmentally, for Americans the past three years have been difficult, at best. Even those whose jobs were secure and finances healthy have felt the impact: government cuts to essential programs, neighbors who had to sell their homes, friends who were unemployed, new carcinogens and ever worsening global warming. Worst of all, the nightly news reminds us how bad things are. All that in addition to our personal challenges.
In times like these, optimism is hard to summon. The cartoon I quoted above is not far from the truth — we often get so trapped in worrying that we can’t do Good Work! (more…)
“My world began on the way to school.”
As small children, our first experiences of the world beyond our families were at school – and even before that, on the way to school. Carrying our lunch box or our book bag, some of us walked through our neighborhood with our parents or friends. Others rode their bikes. Many of us boarded a big yellow school bus. A few of us were driven to school in cars.
What do you remember about walking or riding to school? (more…)
“Don’t discourage anyone who is making progress, no matter how slow.” Plato
This has been one of those weeks when I have been busy all week, but the stack of unfinished projects on my desk suggests otherwise. While I had every intention of completing the items on my to-do list, I set many of them aside to do other things. I took on new commitments and attended important events. Mostly, I gave time to relationships and met several new friends, so it has been a good week. (more…)
“It was time to make a move.”
Drawers emptied. Boxes stacked. Truck packed. Address changed. Friends hugged. Map ready. Heart uncertain.
Moving from one place to another is a universal experience. (more…)
Two heads are better than one.
You buy new software and are trying to install it, and the screen says there is a problem with your computer.
It’s time to finally get your insurance and finances in order…again.
A family member is having trouble coping and needs assistance.
Situations like these are part of everyday life for most of us. We know the problem, but the answer is much more complicated. In fact, we’re not even sure where to start!
The good news is that we don’t have to come up with a solution all by ourselves. (more…)
“No matter how busy you are, you must find time to read. ” Confucius
Ahhh, time to read…
For most of us, our schedules make finding time to read a challenge, even though we know how good it feels to settle in with a good book or magazine.
To add to the challenge, many of us who are particular about what we read are also partial to where we read. Our choices of the perfect places to read can be as personal and unique as choosing which books to pull from the shelf. We might translate the wisdom of Confucius as: No matter how busy you are, you must find a place to read!
So where do you prefer to commune with words: (more…)
We all profit if our healthcare system is transformed…
and that profit will not be just financial!
This week in Washington, the hot topic is healthcare. Those with an eye on the cost and scope of expanding healthcare are calling for reform. Those with a heart for medical care as a humanitarian mission are calling for healthcare to be transformed. Most of us, confused and concerned with how to provide healthcare for our own family and others, are somewhere in between. (more…)
“Every so often, I take it out and read it again.” A friend talking about her favorite book
With summer here, the topic of books to take on vacation came up this week. Headed to the beach with a bag of books, a friend of mine was lamenting that, with her busy schedule, she didn’t usually have time to reread her favorite books – young adult novels that make her remember what she loved about childhood in a small town.
Books have a way of doing that – opening up places in our hearts and minds we have kept dormant. (more…)
The best part of living in a small town…
Yesterday, I had lunch in Honey Grove, Texas. I was speaking to the Friends of the Library there, a group of 75 people dedicated to supporting the public library in a community of descendants of farming families. Some had lived there all their lives, but many have retired from successful careers to this struggling town of historic buildings and fond memories. My topic was Celebrating Small Town Life — (more…)
