View from a Rural Village

I was 7 that summer. I remember climbing trees, biking all around town, and catching fireflies late into the evening. My family lived simply. Dad worked at a factory in the town 6 miles away. Mother didn't drive. My brother and I did what kids did in the 1950s--we played with friends, we read books, we fought with each other, we celebrated each day and counted stars at night. We were invincible and the world was safe.

I know--it has been quite awhile. Like many, I've been watching our world and reminded of a Chinese proverb I learned a very long time ago--"May you live in interesting times." A fascinating few words--simple in form, complex in message. As one who hates being bored I first saw this as spelling out exactly what I wanted from my life--may you never be bored. Cool! But as I grew older and watched the world from the safety of my rural perch I realized this could also be a curse. I've watched wars, assassinations, starvation of children, acts of great terror (even by my country) and, thankfully I've also witnessed incredible acts of great humanity and joy. I do live in interesting times. I graduated from high school in 1968. Yes, I'm a baby boomer, part of the rebellious 60s, and now a member of the aging population. I learned to type on a manual typewriter and am keying this on my marvelous laptop computer mysteriously tied to the internet without wires. I grew u...

Like many I am trying to fathom the depths of this economic crisis. Behaviors of my mother and father come to mind for they carried the memories of the Great Depression and I find myself modeling those behaviors. Just how strong do I really need to make the coffee? (Whoops--looks like this did not get posted back in January!)