Two years ago, my father died. Mom passed away a few years before that. I’ve been living with a combination of grief and relief for 8 years. While I miss them both, I’m not overwhelmed by their passing, because in some ways they (and I) had already moved on by the time they officially left … Continue reading Turn the Page
Works
Shortcuts
As far as one of my professors was concerned the worst invention of all time was the Xerox machine. His reasoning: while moveable type made the wide dissemination of knowledge possible, the Xerox machine made it easy to copy information without interacting with it. “When you read a book, or listen and take notes, you … Continue reading Shortcuts
Spectacular!
An Independence Day Meditation Part of playing in a high school band was marching in parades. Memorial Day. Independence Day. Veterans Day. And whatever “day” the band director said we would play. Parades are for families, children, veterans, dignitaries, and those who want to make a show of being there. Parades are pageantry. They commemorate … Continue reading Spectacular!
Memorials
“Who am I anyway? Am I my resumé?” – from “I Hope I Get It” (A Chorus Line) Hamlisch and Kleban, 1975. There are many ways to “make your mark” on the world. And based on what I was taught, there are only a few good ways to do this. Think of the names we … Continue reading Memorials
The Golden Age
“Perception is reality.” At least according to some. If someone perceives that they look too fat, too thin, or too anything, this is their reality, no matter how others might see them. If a person perceives some other group as dangerous, treasonous, or demonic, this is their reality. If they perceive their own as virtuous, … Continue reading The Golden Age
Rise of the Machines
“Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” — Ecclesiastes 7:29, KJV “Ay, roar well,” said Bagheera [the panther], under his whiskers, “for the time comes when this naked thing will make thee roar to another tune, or I know nothing of man.” – … Continue reading Rise of the Machines
Significance
“My friends were little men—like the Führer himself. These ten men were not men of distinction. They were not men of influence. They were not opinion-makers. Nobody ever gave them a free sample of anything on the ground that what they thought of it would increase the sales of the product. Their importance lay in … Continue reading Significance
Yoh…
My great grandmother was from “the old county.” What that country was has been a matter of some conjecture. Family tradition at one time said it might be Ukraine, or somewhere between there and Russia, because great grandma spoke a Russian dialect and went to a Russian Orthodox church. And many people who lived in … Continue reading Yoh…
Imagine
“Imagine there's no heaven / It's easy if you try / No hell below us / Above us, only sky // Imagine all the people / Livin' for today… Imagine there's no countries / It isn't hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for / And no religion, too // Imagine all the … Continue reading Imagine
Incantations
One segment of my course, “Music, the Arts, and Culture,” consisted of an overview of film scores – their composers, history, techniques, etc. In the process, teams of two or three students were assigned to give class presentations. We chose films “out of a hat,” literally, so no one would feel they were unfairly assigned … Continue reading Incantations
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