Ever since the day that Donald Trump rode the golden escalator in Trump Tower to announce his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States of America, the country has been more divided than I can ever remember despite the fact that I have lived through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, protests over … Continue reading
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Whatever Happened to Progress? A Gen-X Woman Reflects on the Return of Misogyny
The boys always threw harder when a girl was on the other side of the gym. Everyone knew it. The girls knew it. The boys knew it. Even the teachers knew it. Yet no one said a word. As a woman born in the early years of Generation X, I grew up expecting sexism. What … Continue reading
Before the Safety Net: The Reality We Seem to Forget
Why do people from the United States have such short memories? Many Americans, especially those who self-identify as “fiscal conservatives” will rail against social welfare programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance subsidies. They complain that the programs are too expensive and that many of the people receiving the benefits … Continue reading
What Happens When the Scapegoats Are Gone?
Between 1910 and 1970, it is estimated that more than five million African Americans migrated from the rural American South to northern cities. Perhaps, not so surprisingly, I didn’t learn about The Great Migration, until I took Black American History 200 during my sophomore year in college in 1982. Ironically, it was this same year … Continue reading
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Surviving Life With a Chronically Impatient Partner
“Arrgh! (Hammering, banging noises). DAMN IT!” These were the sounds I heard from my then boyfriend (now husband) as he was trying to fix a kitchen cabinet in my house as I prepared to put my home on the market due to a job promotion and upcoming move. My yellow labrador retriever, Charlie, kept running … Continue reading
The Second Step: A Second Look
Note: I originally wrote this essay for a freshman-level university course when I was 19 years old back in 1982. I decided to share it here in its original form with commentary at the end as to whether my perspectives have changed at all during the last 40+ years. In looking back over my life, … Continue reading
Silence Isn’t Fatal
Once, during a job interview, I was asked to state how I thought that others would describe me. One particular phrase came to mind, “Well, she seems nice enough, but she’s so quiet!” Now, I suppose if that is the absolute worst thing people can find to say about me, I shouldn’t feel too discouraged. … Continue reading
It’s Not Milk
As an “oldish” member of Generation X, I’m too young to remember the days of home milk delivery in glass bottles. I can, recall, however, when supermarket milk came in cardboard cartons. The backs of the cartons featured the heartbreaking photos of missing children while on the front the words, “Pasteurized and Homogenized” were boldly … Continue reading
Who’s the Real Villain?
As I work to improve my Spanish language skills before moving to Mexico in September, I’ve started reading the Spanish editions of many of the stories I enjoyed as a child. Most of the stories bring back wonderful memories of having the stories read to me, by my mother, grandmother, or a beloved teacher at … Continue reading
Opting Out – Is It Doing Our Children More Harm Than Good?
I’ve never been an “outdoorsy” sort of person, especially when the weather is hot (and in North Carolina, where I currently live, it’s hot from late April through early November.) So, one of my hot weather guilty pleasures is to watch YouTube videos of the often out-of-control school board meetings, where parents, students, and sometimes … Continue reading
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