Moral Compass-Alignment With Values
Disasters Generate Altruism
Amidst the images and stories of the bombings of hospitals and schools in Ukraine, we’ve also seen, every day, images and stories of people sheltering together, people carrying elderly and injured on their backs to safety, people setting up soup kitchens and sharing food, blankets, medicines. I’ve been intrigued as well with the stories and […]
The Perils of Being Co-Opted
I still receive weekly physical therapy for my shoulder fracture last winter; a blessing to still be regaining range of motion and flexibility. Most of the costs are covered through my HMO health insurance and Medicare – definitely a blessing. I thoroughly enjoy working with my physical therapist; we share a love of swimming and […]
The Practice of Poignancy
Today, May 31, 2021, the last Monday in May, is celebrated as Memorial Day in the United States. Poignant, that the meaning of a holiday, begun in 1868 to honor the men and women who died in military service for this country, has come, for many of us, to signal the unofficial beginning of summer; […]
Save the World?… Savor the World?… How Either/Or Becomes Both/And
I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. – E.B. White I’ve straddled the horns of the savoring-saving dilemma for most of my adult life, certainly for all of 2021 so far. Wanting to be […]
How to Know Right from Wrong…
The notion of following your own moral compass may seem sadly out of fashion nowadays, though the survival of our democracy, our civilization, utterly depends on citizens anchoring their actions in their deeply held and sorely tested inner convictions about truth, humanity, justice. Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “Is […]
The Right Things to Do…Right Now
With the recent outcry and protests over the unconscionable death of George Floyd at the hands (under the knee) of Minneapolis police officers, and with the re-surging recognition (once again!) of the intolerable impact of racial discrimination and social injustice on our minority and marginalized citizens (the death rate from COVID-19 up to six times […]
We Are Not in the Same Boat
The more I post resources for coping skillfully with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the more good people send good posts to me, often with more wisdom and perspective than I am capable of. My friend Carole forwarded this one; I honestly wish I knew the author. Below, I do offer some of my […]
Think Globally – Act Locally
My friend Eve recently asked me “how to forge a humanistic path while forces of hate and fear and abuse swirl in the world.” Excellent question, one we face every day these days. And the complexity of the answer(s) reminds me of a line from Woody Allen, I believe in his film Annie Hall, “How […]
Pay Attention, Stay Informed…and Go Out and Make Some News of Your Own
A popular bumper sticker when I was an activist in the 70’s and 80’s: If you’re not outraged you’re not paying attention. So much to pay attention to in those days, and show up to do something about – war raging in Vietnam, civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, disabled rights. Still so much to […]
A Bombshell Too Close to Home
Whether you recently watched the impeachment hearings or the Super Bowl or the Academy Awards or simply took a hike to get away from it all, we are constantly asked by life to make choices about when and how we will engage with (or ignore) the larger issues of our larger world. I saw the […]