Walking down Fifth Avenue just after dark last night, we could see the two commemorative 9/11 light shafts. They were at the foot of Manhattan, shining their seemingly endless high blue columns into the sky. The day itself – September 10 – had been weirdly reminiscent of September 11 in 2001. Absolutely beautiful weather, not …
Current Events
Independence Day: A Musical Observance for Our American Birthday
On Sunday we Americans celebrate Independence Day, our July Fourth “birthday” commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is a day on which we often try to give thought to our history, and the values that have shaped that history over the last 245 years. Celebrating the Day No matter where in the …
Research Rapture: Leaving No Stone Unturned
There can be real joy in diving into topics far beyond one’s own domain, but also concern about getting too caught up in the process. But fear not, getting sidetracked does not have to be a bad thing! If you are accustomed to bouncing around digital resources to learn as much as you can about a …
Can We Talk?
Two weeks ago, in a New Year’s Day message (An Optimistic Perspective for 2021), I raised the question of whether or not it was possible to be optimistic after all we have been through in 2020. Eternal optimist that I am, my response was a resounding yes. There were still reasons to be optimistic. Then the events …
An Optimistic Perspective for 2021
Though the title of this journal entry indicates that I’m going to be looking ahead – and I am – looking ahead often requires that we look back as well. This not only provides perspective, but also can demonstrate that our efforts are not futile. What has succeeded before can succeed again. Certainly we can’t …