Dear Hope Nation, Today is May 19, and we’ve spotted the Land of After! Or at least an initial party, gathered in bright sunlight at Derryfield Park from 11 to noon, had a chance to see what recovery may feel like for many in the next few glorious months. About a dozen folks sat in…
A Daily Message
Overwhelmed (to tears) by a Work of Art
Dear Hope Nation, To quote Joel Goodson in “Risky Business” (or at least the bowdlerized over-the-air television version), “Sometimes you just gotta say, ‘What the heck.’” This, for me, is one of those moments. After all, it’s not often I have tears streaming down my face. I am so incredibly overwhelmed by a work of…
Some of my favorites in no particular order
Dear Hope Nation, Ever since I was in the Army, I’ve loved books of quotations. While some quotes are mere cocktail peanuts—pleasant enough but not hunger-satisfying—others are like Willie Wonka’s Magic Chewing Gum that contains a three-course meal. (Unlike Wonka’s gum, though, I’ve never heard of a quote turning an Oompa Loompa (or Violet Beauregard)…
...being held in the hand of recovery by the gathered crowd
Dear Hope Nation, I’ve been accused, often rightly, of cynicism. No matter how fluttering the eyelids of the person telling me that astrology is based on research, that lines on my palm really do predict (or determine) my future, that tarot cards are a way for me to analyze my love life, I think it’s…
No Zoom Required For This One
Dear Hope Nation, [Read on for a fairly exciting announcement. Those of you who know me know I often bury the lead. After a Family Circus-like traipse around the neighborhood, I eventually end up with a payoff. This is that.] I’ve known for a long time I’m the luckiest man in the world, living and…
Feel free to call and tell me I'm a baby
Dear Hope Nation, As I mentioned yesterday, a friend asked me to write a brief (300-or-so word) piece on the subject, “What I Miss (from before Covid-19).” As a person who’s always rewritten any assignment to suit what I felt like writing about, I wrote about something I’ve gained and last during this time of…
Not Much for Nostalgia
Dear Hope Nation, A friend of mine asked me to write about what I miss most about the Land of Before. Although not a Biblical scholar by any stretch, during this time I feel like a Jew wandering in the wilderness before being led to Israel. As I try to get through each moment with…
Using That Time to Make Changes
Dear Hope Nation, You could fill eternity and more than a couple notebooks outlining my ignorance of life, the universe and everything. For instance, Chemistry, Biology, Philosophy. On each of these I have but bits and pieces of knowledge, often unconnected by any theme Chemistry: covalent, effective nuclear charge, exergonic, oxidation Biology: cell, species, mutation,…
Enough is a Feast
Dear Hope Nation, I suspect many of you are tired of hearing me talk about gratitude. The way I go on, expressing gratitude sounds like a panacea, a remedy for everything that ails you. That, of course, is nonsense. Sharing your gratitude with the world will not fix toe fungus, halitosis or balding. (More honestly,…
On Mothers Day
Dear Hope Nation, [This is a Choose Your Own Adventure letter with a twist. If you’re of a certain age, you remember this series of books. You’d begin a narrative and at an exciting part, you’d have to make a choice. For instance, “If you want to explore the cave, Turn to Page 87. If…
