In democratic ages men rarely sacrifice themselves for another, but they show a general compassion for all the human race. One never sees them inflict pointless suffering, and they are glad to relieve the sorrows of others when they can do so without much trouble to themselves. They are not disinterested, but they are gentle. – Alexis…
Innocence ends when one is stripped of the delusion that one likes oneself. ― Joan Didion, On Self-Respect Lately I have been writing an hour or more a day. Not the kind of writing that fulfills an obligation outside of myself, like responding to emails, sending thanks to contributors, or reporting on progress for a grant. I…
Il ne faut pas toucher aux idoles: la dorure en reste aux mains. [Never touch your idols: the gilding will stick to your fingers.] ― Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary During World War I, nine million people died. No event before that, except for possibly the Black Death in the middle ages, was as catastrophic. Nothing after that…
The prince is never going to come, everybody knows that; and maybe Sleeping Beauty’s dead. ― Anne Rice, The Queen of the Damned Recently in a conversation with a trusted friend, I remembered an incident that happened nearly 30 years ago. I was in a workshop in which problem solving was the prime topic. There were somewhere…
It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old; they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams. ― Gabriel García Márquez Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Mandy Carter. There were many, many reasons I enjoyed the meeting, but perhaps the one I am savoring most is that we are…
There are no perfect human beings! Persons can be found who are good, very good indeed, in fact, great. There do in fact exist creators, seers, sages, saints, shakers, and movers…even if they are uncommon and do not come by the dozen. And yet these very same people can at times be boring, irritating, petulant,…
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…
Creating Community for Everyone 