The NRA is on the (Sandy) Hook for these deaths

It’s been nine years since Adam Lanza massacred the educators and students named below. While he may have officially acted alone, don’t kid yourself that he was the only one involved. Every single member of the NRA who refuses to accept common sense gun laws also has blood on their hands and bears responsibility for … Continue reading The NRA is on the (Sandy) Hook for these deaths

Punching Bag

Perhaps you remember the post I wrote about Rex Ogle’s memoir Free Lunch. That book centered on the year Rex was in 6th grade and detailed the physical, verbal and emotional abuse he suffered while living as a child with his mother, stepfather and younger brother. While I’ve never been physically abused, the book landed … Continue reading Punching Bag

Keeping it together as the Beatles fall apart 

I’ve been binging on Peter Jackson’s documentary series, Get Back, about the Beatles and it really couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s the kind of show, in my opinion, that doesn’t require acute attention and that’s kind of where I am at present. The project most certainly was a labor of love for … Continue reading Keeping it together as the Beatles fall apart 

Your mother never was one

Recently, I've been on a Lumineers kick and the  title of this post comes from their song, Donna. It wasn’t the first lyric in the song that caught my ear, but it was the one that prompted me to write it down. Let’s just say it resonated. I’ve written, and even publicly spoken, about finding … Continue reading Your mother never was one

What is remembered lives

I recently started following a new-to-me Instagram account, TheAIDSMemorial. It isn’t that I need reminders to reflect upon those who have been lost to AIDS, but seeing the photos and reading the stories has moved me deeply. Damn, they were so young. As our country faces yet another variant strain of Covid, I can’t help but … Continue reading What is remembered lives

Je me souviens 

Last week’s trip to Montreal with my sons was, I think, the 7th or 8th time I’ve been there. It’s been quite some time, though, since I’ve gone to Montreal without an agenda in place. The most recent occasions have been to make use of the airport, see a concert, and chaperone a middle school … Continue reading Je me souviens 

Giving thanks for simple pleasures

It seems that Thanksgiving has changed in so many ways since I was a child and taught about Pilgrims and “Indians.” Knowing what I know now about the atrocities perpetrated by whites against Native Americans has certainly diminished the joy of the holiday for many, including myself. How does one celebrate the colonialization of the … Continue reading Giving thanks for simple pleasures