Over the past few months, masks have assumed a prominent place in our lives. In some cases, they are “suggested”; in others they are “mandated.” And with  COVID-19 ravaging the country, we have been  given guidelines  on how to combat the virus: wash your hands, practice social distancing, and wear a mask. Some people quibble about the need for wearing a mask, seeing a sinister purpose behind the requirement, linking it to oppression or an assault on their freedom. But health care professionals know better;  they see the mask as a means of survival in the fight against a deadly pandemic disease.  Yet  some high profile individuals have consistently…

The one-word title for this month’s post may seem like a throw-back to my weekly vocabulary blogs, but we’re still working on doing monthly articles.  My word choice has relevance to our present COVID-19 pandemic experience. As with our earlier vocabulary posts, a definition is in order. Altruism is the belief or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.  The word was coined by French philosopher Auguste Comte, who used  ottruisme as the opposite for egoism. The Latin root  for altruism is alteri, which means “other people” or “somebody else.” “The world is a pest-house!” This  stark assessment of our planet was written in 1993 by …

  It’s springtime, and despite the COVID-19 virus hanging on in our midst, the welcome signs of the season  are all around us in the gorgeous azalea blooms, dogwoods, and fresh breezes. Another welcome part of springtime is the birds in their bright plumes.  Bird watching is enjoyable. I had a taste of it when I worked hard to fulfill a requirement  for one of my biology courses in college. Birds singing is even more enjoyable. I hear them in the woods behind my house. The notes are clear, repeated with the same rhythm as if they were reading from sheet music. It’s fun listening to hear if they miss…

  Greetings everyone! I hope that you are coping well during this difficult time for us,  as individuals as well as a nation. We must remain positive and believe that although it may seem that the sky is  falling, it really isn’t. It was put in place by a mighty hand, and He is still holding it up.  “Fear not” (Isaiah 41:10).   “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1). “Peace I leave with you” (John 14:27). Be encouraged. Stay strong. Recently, while  I was looking at some  designated national times for celebration, it seemed to me there’s  a day or a month or even a year for almost  everything—from…

  Whenever we have free time to let our mind wander, we contemplate a variety of ideas. but I venture to say that if you’re like me, cynicism is not one of the topics you think about during your mental meanderings.  I began thinking about it, however, after a satisfying talk with one of the readers of my book Dark Days on the Fairest Isle. She said some nice things about different aspects of the story, and in her  analysis made this comment about the character Derrick: “He is so cynical.” I was surprised; it was something I hadn’t thought about. Frankly, I liked writing about him and appreciated his…

  Most of us are still trying to get used to being in 2020.  Reacting at the beginning of the year, some people could be heard saying that it wasn’t too long ago that everyone was buzzing about Y2K and all the many calamities we were afraid would come upon the world.  But their focus soon shifted to talking about the new decade (which really isn’t new yet, with a year to go), and if we were asked to recall highlights from the previous decade, many of us would be stumped to point out any. Well, how about memorable highlights from last year?  Can you recall some of them? One …

  Once again we are on the cusp of a new year, which looms large and challenging, yet promising, as new years usually are.   This one, 2020,  will be a leap year like 2016, which gave us plenty to worry about. Drumbeats are already alerting us to what may be ahead. Most of us are familiar with the words “Ring out the old, ring in the new” from  Tennyson’s famous elegiac poem In Memoriam. We like to repeat those words perhaps because they give us a sense that it’s possible to make a clean break with the past  and start over anew. But there is more to a new year…

  December didn’t wait long  to come around, did it?  It seems that it was a mere breath ago that we were singing carols and wishing everybody “Merry Christmas.”  But no matter whether we have Grinch feelings about the season, starting with the Black Friday blitz, or whether we are eager for “chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” it’s a happy time. I hope you’ll be able to catch one of those television programs  that show Christmas Day arriving in the different time zones around the world. It will bring joy to your heart. December should usher in a season of joy. At least, that is our expectation. What is…

  Once again it’s time for us to connect through this means. This month I am looking at accents, and you may wonder what that is all about.  Accents are a part of linguistics, something  I’m keenly interested in. I once taught a course in linguistics; I find the topic fascinating. Some people like to identify types of trees, others stars, and still others rocks. I like to identify accents. I listen for them and tune in when I hear a different one. Not long ago,  I heard the conductor of an outstanding university choir  make his opening remarks to the audience at a concert, and right away I said…

  Hello and welcome back! Writing this blog post feels like starting over, a new beginning,  introducing myself  once more after a month’s hiatus.  Well, here I am, renewed and ready to continue the conversation.The posts will appear the first of each month. From the title above, you’ll see that, like the vocabulary posts, essentially they will be my viewpoints on diverse topics, a potpourri of  random thoughts, some of which  I hope will resonate with you. Concerning my request for a review after you read Dark Days on the Fairest Isle, I have heard enthusiastic responses from several of you who were willing to write a review but had…