Featured Posts
How Did You Get Here?
We’re not always very brave when it comes to hearing the truth about what people went through to get where they are now. Generational trauma is a real thing, and burying the hard realities that happened in the past does not make them go away. On the other hand, neither does seeking revenge on the perpetrators.
During these difficult times when we have so many questions about others’ motives, perhaps a good place to turn our curiosity is into our own families’ past.
A Girl with a Fast Car
My first car (1979 Datsun) was not nearly as cool as Margaret Gasperi Kloecke’s first car. I bet yours wasn’t either. And do you still have it? Me neither—but Margaret does. Her bright purple 1970 Dodge Charger is in such pristine condition that it’s a national treasure.
Living a Red, White and Blue Reality
My friend Leo is a cybersecurity manager, a Marine veteran, and a nature lover who posts beautiful photos on social media. He’s the kind of guy you’d turn to in a pinch. If you happened to meet Leo on the street, you would see his easy smile and never connect it with the somber Marine pictured above, let alone a 13-year-old desperately holding things together after a life-altering event—a shared reality for all too many Americans.
Feeling a Little Betrayed
Being “a little betrayed” is like being “a little pregnant.” Not possible. My guess is that a lot of us are feeling it right now. And not admitting it. Again, kind of like pregnancy. At first the information is shared on a need-to-know basis. Then suddenly everything shifts and it takes over your entire life every waking moment. I will warn you now: A single book or movie about betrayal is not going to be enough of a balm. You need an entire series.
Trusting Your Life to Golden Coils of Grass
Does it take courage to be the first one to cross this one-of-a-kind bridge, re-woven from grass every June? Or does it take trust in the craftsmanship of one man, descended from five centuries of bridge-builders? I’m completely fascinated by this story from Eliot Stein’s book “Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive.”