Why the Iowa Caucus Fiasco Matters to Me
Iowa's demoralizing Democratic caucus fiasco is going to make it a lot harder to get Americans registered, and to get them to vote. People like me will find our job a lot harder.
Ringing in Y2K
The year 2000 rolled in with a wild 24 hours in world news. We anticipated a Y2K problem with computers malfunctioning because they couldn't handle years starting with 2. What we got was something else entirely, situations that are still unfolding. I saw it start from a vantage point at the Voice of America.
The Joy of Thanks: Saying “Thank You” to Inanimate Objects
Have you ever said "thank you" to your car after a difficult journey? Hugged your sewing machine when you finished a complicated project? Why not? Just the act of doing it can make you happier.
Finding a Way Through the Fog
People who have dementia say it’s like a sudden fog descending, when suddenly your brain won’t work the way you need it to. One extraordinary British woman has found a way to live with dementia. Wendy Mitchell shows us that someone with dementia can find a way through the fog.
The Sweat of Positive People
Let 'em see you sweat. Better still, let 'em smell you.
School Diversity: A Continuing Education
This is part three of a series about whether diversity in schools is good for white kids. I spoke mostly with two experts: my kids, who went to public schools with diverse populations, grades 1-12
Mixed Memories
Is school diversity good for white kids? My white children learned some valuable lessons in public schools with widely diverse students. Their memories are mixed--some treasured, some painful. What they learned is helping them enjoy and prosper in today's United States. Part 2 of a series.
Is School Diversity Good for White Kids?
Parents protect their children, always wary in the face of actual danger and possible harm. A major barrier to greater school diversity, to real integration of public schools, has been the fear of white parents that such diversity would harm the education of their children. Does it? Or is it good for them? I consulted a couple of experts: my kids.
Being Alone
We find joy and replenishment in solitude, but despair in loneliness, and terror in solitary confinement. What is it about being alone that makes those feelings more intense?
Losing the Legacy
When Martin Luther King was killed, some cynics in my home town said he died for a dues check-off. My home town is Memphis, and I was there in 1968. The dues check-off is an important part of his legacy--one we are likely to lose.