Crossing Nebraska

Flag of the nation of Ukraine Dear people of Ukraine,   You are in my heart. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be so brutally invaded on false pretexts by the Russian military. Reports of your fighting spirit in the face of this illegal aggression bring tears to my eyes. I must admit, however, that I feel guilty cheering you on from my place of safety thousands of miles away. You are the ones risking life and limb in this battle, not me. You are the ones whose lives are now so disrupted, not me. So please know that I support you in your choice to fight or retreat or surrender in the face of an untenable situation as your needs and conscience dictate. I am sad, too, for the Russian invaders and their families back home. Due to the lies and manipulation of their immoral leaders, they have become murderers. They have brought shame to themselves in the eyes of the world. We in the United States know the reality of such lies and manipulation. Our previous President was a mast...

  I consider myself a fairly non-materialistic person. Yet I never seem to go long without feeling the need to let go of something. Some of this is due to my tendency to hang on for a long time to whatever I do obtain – whether it's something I’ve been given or have bought for myself. Running shoes are a good example. I use them exclusively for running for about a year, then for casual wear for another couple of years, then as house and yardwork shoes for a few more. Lately, though, running shoes have become so delicately constructed as to throw off this gradual transition. They barely make it through the running phase. But I digress. As you may have guessed, I tend to part with things mindfully. Recently I’ve been making my way through a stack of CDs that I’ll most likely donate for a local library sale. I engage in this little ritual of listening to them one last time before letting them go. It’s an interesting exercise. Clearly, if I knew that I still wanted them, I wouldn’t h...