Thirty-one years, 11 months, and two weeks ago, Paul and I met for the first time. In the ensuing years I have said countless times, “I never had a chance.” Several weeks ago I downloaded a count-down app to my phone. Every few days I change the music it plays while a counter shows how…
One of the things I noticed as a new staff person at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin in the early 1980’s was that both government and foundation staff were very helpful. They wanted Planned Parenthood programs to succeed. They valued sexuality education, clinical services, and advocacy. They got the point that to make every child a…
The countdown to my encore launch has begun. At 5:00 PM Central Time July 31, 2015 I am closing the door on this chapter of my life as the President and CEO of Diverse and Resilient. The following Monday, I will be attending more specifically to my work in community development with projects in Milwaukee and…
The Fourth of July is a nostalgic time for me. I remember with pleasure and wonder blankets under the sky at Jackson, Mitchell, Wilson, and Juneau Parks. I recall parades and curbs and decorated bikes. While there were traditions like soupy Jell-o and potato salad that needed monitoring for temperature, there were also steady changes…
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, There’s a land that I hear of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Someday I’ll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far Behind me. Where troubles…
I just want to celebrate another day of living. I just want to celebrate another day of life. – Rare Earth, Peter Rivera Ronnie and Jazzy and Kofi and Rudy and Carlos and Everett and Anthony and Anthony and Mark and Mark and Mark and Dan and David and Ray and Jeff and Todd and…
Wrestle bears, bring them to their knees; Steal the honey from killer bees. Find love, then give it all away. – Clem Snide (Eef Barzelay), Find Love PrideFest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been around for more than 25 years. Each June, on the first full weekend, tens of thousands of people jostle their way past protesters…
Don’t be scared to connect the dots, Dig for gold in the parking lot. Find love, then give it all away. – Clem Snide (Eef Barzelay), Find Love I confess to a certain odd challenge to reality in my waking moments. There are sometimes things about which I am completely certain. I mean that I have…
Don’t let hurricanes hold you back, Raging rivers or shark attacks. Find love, then give it all away. – Clem Snide (Eef Barzelay), Find Love In an interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air, David Oyelowo made brilliant commentary on the effects of racism and the world history of slavery on the hearts and minds of…
Coyote, raccoon, field mouse, sparrow, Each watching from darkness this man With the moon on a leash. – Ted Kooser, Winter Morning Walks For a few weeks I have been thinking about a shift in my thoughts and feelings about the death of my husband last December. The great sense of loss is abiding with little…
Creating Community for Everyone 