May god bless my people, my uncle, my aunt, my mother, my good father, oh, remember them kindly in their time of trouble; and in the hour of their taking away. After a little I am taken in and put to bed. Sleep, soft smiling, draws me unto her: and those receive me, who quietly…
Do not stand at my grave and weep; I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush I am the swift uplifting…
As physical changes and health problems increase as we age, so do some social roles. Whether we like these roles or not, they only feel optional to some people over 60. For many more, these roles are mandates. Increasing numbers of grandparents are expected to be work-day caregivers to their grandchildren. Many working class and…
This week as I write about some of the physical and social effects of aging on community development, I have noted some drop off in reader interest, from an average of 30 or so regulars to maybe eight or 10. I am good with that. I am mostly writing to organize my thoughts about the…
Sex. There. I said it. In the U.S. we have a weird fascination with sex. Why ‘weird?’ Well, it seems to be an all-consuming subject of interest and an impolite subject of discourse. More than 30 years ago, I coined this statement: “Sex? It is dirty, wrong, sinful, and disgusting. Save it for the one…
“Two up and an addict, mix ‘em.” That call can still be heard on warm days in the parking lot of Leon’s, just south of Oklahoma Boulevard on South 27th Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the warmest days of the year, a short line emerges before the small glass door is opened where orders for…
I recall being in fifth or sixth grade at Saint Gerard’s Catholic School, studying US history with Sister Mary Owen. Everyone loved her. She wasn’t an easy teacher and had high expectations for us all. She was kind and fair. She was talented. I remember sitting in the second seat in the second row from…
Creating Community for Everyone 