September, a Poem

September is my favorite month of the year.  I invite you to listen to this poem, September by Helen Hunt Jackson (1830 – 1885), an American poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the United States government.  September as read by Garrison Keillor…         September by Helen Hunt …

Making the World a Better Place

I know for certain that THE MOST EFFECTIVE way to make the world a better place to be is by greeting, smiling and waving at every creature – man, woman, child, animal, and plant – you encounter throughout the day.  Those simple gestures go much farther than any dollar you could contribute to the most …

“My Sister Died of an Overdose”

The Summer 2018 issue of Plough Magazine focuses on ‘medicine’ and is appropriately titled “The Soul of Medicine.”  While every article packs a punch, one article in particularly- “Let Me Stand” – struck me with the force of a powerfully swung two-by-four landing squarely in the center of my forehead. Humanizing Medicine As readers of …

Scrutinized Sentiments

Even for those few of us who aren’t glued to a video screen throughout the day monitoring the ‘news’ as presented by ‘legitimate’ news broadcasters and the millions of social media experts who riddle out brains with a never-ending flow of commentary on whatever they disagree with, it was difficult to avoid the now famous …