When in the Course

I was born at the beginning of the Eisenhower era and was raised by Republican parents. Even so, they preferred JFK to Richard Nixon, so there’s that. I came of age during the Viet Nam war; however, I was too young to be drafted. Many who graduated high school before me paid a terrible price. … Continue reading When in the Course →

180

We sometimes hear people say, “I’ve changed my opinion 360 degrees on that.” It’s likely they mean 180 degrees, or enough to reverse course, not spin completely around. I’m sure most just want to say they’ve changed their minds, so it’s not a big deal. However, it seems to me it’s a bigger deal when … Continue reading 180 →

Dualities

“Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” “If you criticize Israel, that means you are antisemitic.” “If you question the president, you must hate your country.” There are many examples. These statements represent the “either-or” fallacy. Of course, a person might not agree with everything their country (or their president) does … Continue reading Dualities →

Good Council

(Overheard at the regular centenary meeting of the gods.) In attendance: Adonai – God of humans Cephalos – God of octopuses Cetaceus – God of dolphins Ornithos – God of birds Pachydus – God of elephants Adonai: I hereby call this meeting to order. I know each of you have concerns. Who would like to … Continue reading Good Council →

The Expendables

Once upon a time, my class watched the classic Hitchcock film, “Lifeboat,” in our first-year seminar course. The lifeboat was a microcosm of life. With severely limited resources, nine passengers on a lifeboat were faced with deciding who will live and who will die. Now, an algorithm might give a seriously injured man a lower … Continue reading The Expendables →

Independence

Tullius: You don’t really believe that do you? Marcus: Yes. I do. The kingdom of God is among us. Tullius: So, you mean in the here and now, not in the next life or that it’s on the way? Marcus: In a sense, it’s on the way, because the choices we make today can nudge … Continue reading Independence →

Weep No More

In 2008, our Weeping Cherry tree was under attack. A thunderstorm blew it almost to the ground and split the trunk out of spite, I suppose. I propped the tree for over two years and treated it to stop the insects crawling on the cracked trunk. After that, it was able to grow – little … Continue reading Weep No More →

Narratives

In 1971, Cher’s song, “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves,” rose to number one on the charts. In addition to having a great hook, the recording called out the hypocrisy of “the people of the town,” who called others cruel names, as though they had a right to judge. But let’s not congratulate ourselves. In many ways, … Continue reading Narratives →

Winners?

When he saw one of us after a concert or recital, one of my music professors would ask, “So…winners?” If our performance went well, we would answer, “Winners!” If we hesitated, he said, “Losers, then?” His expression said, “Well, you can’t win them all. Better luck next time.” We could tell he wanted us to … Continue reading Winners? →

Doniella

A fable inspired by "A Quality of Mercy," episode 80 of “The Twilight Zone,” December 29, 1961. [A bigoted American soldier is transformed into a Japanese soldier in a besieged platoon.] “Who are you, and where is President Trump?” demanded the Secret Service agent. “Come on, Bill, I’m Donald Trump! What the hell is going … Continue reading Doniella →