Paper or plastic? Coke or Pepsi? Boxers or briefs? Many of us make these deceptively simple, split-second decisions, hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of times throughout our lives. But are these choices really as simple as they seem, and do we actually have any real choices at all? Long ago, my siblings labeled me the “goody … Continue reading
Being Real
Even in his prime he was nothing fancy. Built like a teddy bear but with the floppy ears of a dog, “Branigin” was (and remains) my favorite stuffed animal. While my memory of exactly the day I received him is a little hazy (that does tend to happen after 50 years or so), I think … Continue reading
Leave the Light on For Me…
In many families it seems that various members have their assigned roles…the funny one, the social one, the leader, the “baby”. A voracious reader and viewer of documentaries from a very young age, my own assigned role has been that of “trivia buff”, “historian” and “keeper of useless information”. So, in keeping with that tradition … Continue reading
Make a Wish
“Make a wish!” How many times have you heard that phrase just before blowing out the birthday candles? I think my mother baked a cake for me (yellow or chocolate with chocolate icing) for at least the first twenty-two of my birthdays. Yet, as I look back, I can’t say that I recall any of … Continue reading
The (Soothing) Power of Words
I love writing. I’ve loved it since I wrote my first serious essay at age 13, a logical, reasoned treatise on the injustice imposed by my 8th grade substitute social studies teacher. Our regular teacher was on maternity leave and our class had the misfortune of inheriting a portly, balding, social studies zealot who inexplicably … Continue reading
Silence is Golden
When I was a kid, the United Negro College Fund had a public service announcement on television that showed a young black man looking straight into the camera, while his head gradually faded and became invisible. When his head had completely disappeared the voiceover would gravely intone, “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” … Continue reading
Living in the Land of Bland
While I often pride myself on being open to new ideas, whether it be learning about diverse cultures, acquiring a new language, or appreciating art and music from a variety of genres I must confess that there is one area in which I am far from adventurous. I like my food plain. Sauces, spice, even … Continue reading
Define Radical
When I was growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s “radicalism” was a term tossed around quite often by politicians and the news media. Often accompanied by footage of angry, long-haired Vietnam protesters or rampaging looters in places like Detroit, Newark, New Jersey, and Watts “radicals” came to represent all that was dysfunctional … Continue reading
quietlyradical 