Reality
The new week begins with an event we've been anticipating for a while. Since November, there has been an endless array of think pieces about what it all means, what…
What might have been
January 2, 2025 As I write this, I'm in a hotel room in Athens, Georgia, a stone's throw from the University of Georgia's main campus. Tomorrow morning, I'm meeting with…
That was the year
As I began writing this, the last hours of 2024 were ticking away. I'm facing the weird feeling I always get when a year ends and a new one begins.…
The Christmas that was
When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for Christmas to get here. There was so much anticipation and excitement, hoping that Santa would make good on the items I'd…
A fenced-in hallowed ground
Yesterday was Thanksgiving and we went over to be with the family. On the whole, it was a pleasant get-together. The food was good (and plentiful) and the antics around…
The Fifth Column of Decency: Life, Sept. 23, 1957
One of my favorite pastimes on a lazy afternoon is to leaf through old magazines in various online archives. The big Life magazine archive is a particular joy to me,…
Farewell to a friend (and to an era)
One of the sad things about getting older is that every year, you find yourself going to more funerals and memorial services. I've been to plenty as it was, but…