#VIMH: Social Security Was Always A Tax (?)
About 25 years ago, shortly after I moved to Australia, I met an American expat who ranted about the farce of Social Security in America. She insisted it was nothing more than a tax -- or would be, in the end -- and resented being forced to pay it, which is one of the reasons she left the country…
Leanne Bernard's Masterful Lady Bracknell Is the Star of Stone Soup Theatre Company's Rendition of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest
… Stone Soup Theatre Company's Feb. 21-March 2 presentation of The Importance of Being Earnest is a production worth seeing. Oscar Wilde's sharp critique of Victorian society is as relevant and funny today as it was in 1895. If you've never experienced The Importance of Being Earnest, this is your opportunity to see it in a charming, unconventional setting. The production is sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a few of the play's iconic lines ringing in your ears.
The Patience of a Corpse
… “for to know God's will was Martin's heart's desire, and to attain such a state of perfection - a union with God in mystical ecstasy- required the patience of a corpse." -John Irving, A Son Of The Circus
From an Agnostic Christian
… When I sit at an intersection and am approached by a nearly toothless, orange-jacketed beggar with a sign saying “Living In Woods, Please Help. God Bless You,” I ask myself, ‘What would Jesus do?’ …
Mothers and Daughters
My daughter is a lot like her mother.
This frustrates the heck out of me…
Don’t Worry, Be Bored
… Much of our anxiety ‘stems from our busy, overactive minds always needing entertainment, something to focus on, and always wondering ‘What’s next?’ …
When Parents Can’t Read
…The principal said there’s nothing we can do about what happens at home; we can only maximize what we can do during the 8 hours that they are at school. In other words, our hands are tied. It’s a far worse prognosis and one that I simply cannot accept.
The Importance of Repetition
If you want your kids to digest the information in a book, you have to read it more than once. And it’s always best if you read it *together*. Many teaching styles are based on engaging repetition, including those of well-known Shinichi Suzuki. My hope is that you will approach my children’s books in this way as well.
Letters to My Mother, Myself
This article was written for the Raleigh News and Observer for Mother’s Day. It recounts my mother’s and my frustrating experiences throughout my childhood and adolescence and how they molded us into who we are.
A Lesson in Life and Dying: Becky Heron
Due in no small part to her husband, Becky’s realism and lack of pretense never abandoned her. She and her family enabled me to be a part of her departure from this world, and I will never allow my fear or awkwardness with death to keep me away again…
#VoiceInMyHead on April 13, 2023:
Those who are not willing to listen are not willing to learn. Walk away. There are plenty of people in this world who you can work with and love. Problem solved. *** Now think about the factions that violently divide this country….
The Justice Theater Project's Performance of Mark St. Germain's Best of Enemies Is Transformative
As a young, Afro-Latina woman, Yamila Monge said that she wants the production to demonstrate appreciation for the difficult trailblazing of the previous generation and their glowing, though generally not well-known, examples of the healing transformation that can occur when even the most heated adversaries agree to work together and listen to one another…
Gun Control, #ThemeSong, and #QuoteOfTheDay
My #ThemeSong today is "Get up off of our knees" by a 1980's post-Smiths band called The Housemartins. I remember the first time I heard this song - I immediately wanted to learn the lyrics…
Back to Me
Three Poetic Reminders. Don’t let your family or your world make you forget who you are and what you need. And when things get stressful, remember that we are all just “stardust contemplating stardust” (Carl Sagan).
First Day of School
My dreams have been ridiculously stressful as my son’s first day of middle school - and first day of school post Covid - approaches. After the bittersweet drop off, my dreams suddenly make sense. Hindsight truly is 20/20 - sometimes immediately so.
Do your Work, Seek your Path, and Maintain Your Community
In light of the people who get financial rewards they haven't worked for, don't deserve, or don't need, you wonder, "Why them and not me?"; you ponder the short cuts you could take to get where they are and the opportunities you've missed thanks to your naïveté…
The Kinks, Predatory Marketing, Durham's Elf, and Feline Broccoli
Fat cats eating broccoli and other musings on another capitalistic American day.
Mandolin Orange, Faith, Incompetent People and Myanmar
My #ThemeSong today is a set by Chapel Hill's Mandolin Orange, a folk duo led by married couple Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, both 31. Their music is relaxing, positive, and thought provoking - perfect for the drive to or from work. (Thanks bro :-) …
...For The Day
My Quote of the Day:
"You should never, never doubt what nobody is sure about." ~Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka's philosophical and metaphysical optimism has always drawn me to that quote, but the last 5 years have illuminated the danger that is equally inherent.
Manic Monday, Everyday Jitters, and Implementation Activation
My #ThemeSong today is Manic Monday, written by Prince and performed by The Bangles. Here’s a great NPR story on how Prince came to give the song to the Bangles quite early in their musical career: https://www.npr.org/2019/06/21/734176868/how-prince-worked-his-magic-on-the-bangles-manic-monday…