Submitted by PeterElias on Wed, 04/15/2020 - 19:49
Feeding chickadees (February 2020)
It’s not that far, really. Just off my back deck and down the hill Through what I still remember as pasture for our mare, To the little wooden foot bridge o’er the stream. No, it’s not that far in steps, though in full winter When the snow is newly deep, the going is slow and makes you wish You’d bothered with your snow shoes.
Submitted by PeterElias on Fri, 01/17/2020 - 12:58
My family, friends, and colleagues know I speak out or act up when I see something I think is wrong. When asked why, my usual answer is that I was raised to examine and question things, to seek information, to make up my own mind, and to always behave in a way that is true to my values.
This explanation is true but incomplete, as it fails to convey my belief that silence is a form of acceptance and can be tantamount to endorsement. I offer an anecdote from my childhood as an illustration of what I mean.