Category: Current Affairs
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FAREWELL PAPA
As the sun sets here in Halls Head on Easter Monday, we say farewell to Pope Francis. Much will be said about Pope Francis and I admired him greatly. But for me I admired him mostly for his stance on the environment, which came to light in 2015 when he published his ‘Laudato Si’: On […]
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PARALLEL UNIVERSES
There’s this movie I once saw … or maybe it was a book … about the main character living in parallel or alternate universes. In one universe the character gets up on the left side of the bed and in the other on the right. And that little act changes everything from that moment on. […]
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THE WOODEN BELL
If you travel a lot … or if you live a long time … you acquire a lot of trinkets. Souvenirs of travels. Memories of events. I bought a little polar bear when I was in the Arctic. It sits in our living room now. It brings back nice memories of my trip to Norway […]
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SAFER, STRONGER AND MORE PROSPEROUS
I don’t know where to start to comment about this insanity. I’ll just share my personal perspective. I’ve always been proud about two things as an American: the Peace Corps and USAID. To me, they are symbols of an altruistic country who deeply cares about humanity. Both are the legacy of an inspirational national leader, […]
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MAKE EARTH GREAT AGAIN (MEGA)
I remember when we believed we could change the world with a poster and a chant. That belief never really left me—just got bruised along the way. But I’m still marching, still stubborn, and still hoping we can learn to love this planet like it’s the only home we’ve got.
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UNDERSTANDING MERCY
During my travels, I have learned about the world’s religions and have met and have befriended people of many faiths. I struggle with the parts of their faiths which deal with creation stories and pantheons of gods, but I do accept a common thread: acts of mercy. In one way or another all religions encourage […]
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A VOTE FOR COMPASSION
In November 1976 I got my first chance to vote in a US presidential election. I was a newly minted 18-year-old and eager to help shape the course of the nation. I voted for Jimmy Carter. And I’ve never regretted how I cast my first vote. Historians rate President Carter as being in the ‘middle-of-the-pack’ […]
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ALONE IN HOTEL QUARANTINE
As Padma, Joseph and I hit the tarmac at the Perth International Airport on Tuesday night we knew our real adventure was only about to begin. The dreaded forced hotel quarantine awaited us. We had read online of so many experiences of Aussies in quarantine; so many folks just couldn’t cope with being locked up […]
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STRANDED!
Padma, Joseph and I have something in common with 19,000 … or 100,000 depending on who is counting … Aussies. We can’t get home. Yet there are plenty of airlines eager to fly us to Australia and no shortage of hotels who will quarantine us and who are desperate to fill empty rooms. In July, […]
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