By now, most of us have seen the television ad — a teenage girl is being consoled by her mom after a recent break up with her boyfriend. The mom suggested that they discard his sweatshirt, photos, and memorabilia. But the teenager cited four hundred tags that remain posted on…

It was Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point, who made the Yiddish word, maven, synonymous with experts, trend setters, and social influencers. Maven first entered our vernacular in the 1960’s via a radio advertisement. Upon the recommendation of the Vita Herring maven, people fled to their local delicatessens…

Put a little love in your heart The Chicago Transit Authority, a jazz fusion band, was not the first to ask- Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? We no longer rely on the sun, moon, and stars as ways to mark time and navigate…

It was early in the pandemic when deliveries were arriving at our doors. One delivery man noticed the American flag hanging at the front door. He commented that flags hanging outdoors these days are few and far between. The home owner shared the forty-year history of the flag that honored…

In ancient Rome gladiators awaited thumbs up or down gestures that would determine life or death. Contrary to conventional lore, thumbs down signaled swords down, signifying that the losing gladiator was more valuable alive, than dead. He would live to fight another day. And, so it is for large turkeys…

The sound of the clambering, crashing iron gates is deafening. Stay focused- do not let fatigue, hunger, or thirst interfere with the power of prayer, hopes, and dreams for the coming year. Our hearts and minds must remain open until the last moment when our chits are called in by…

Do you mind if I put you on a brief hold? Before the pandemic we had no objection waiting to be connected to a home repair service or physician. But now, when the wait time is too long and the music is no longer tolerable, we might opt for a…

We exchange photos on Friday afternoons; it has become a tradition-somewhat of a friendly competition. This week, in honor of Independence Day, he sent a patriotic photo of his balcony- multiple American flags in a beautiful sculpture, and a fern. Porch-rater would have given him a 10/10. He had not…

We should have seen it coming; dark skies provided cover for the ensuing pandemic and clouded our moods. It did not feel like the time to dust off the hurts from the sixties, but there are many parallels between Boomers, current graduates, and today’s political unrest. …