Archives for May 2013

A Deliberate Peace

I’m trapped in a house of testosterone. One husband, two sons, and not a scrap of femininity in sight. As the sole female in a man’s world, I’m just about able to cope with socks on the floor, toilet seats raised and the ape-like slamming of doors and drawers. But I draw the line at television viewing. At the end of the day, when I’m trying to unwind and prepare for sleep, I really don’t think Die Hard III or Crime Scene Investigation is going to speed me to my dreams. So when we’re choosing what to watch I insist, time and again, “I want to Continue Reading

Breaking Down the Walls

In August 1961 construction East Germany began construction on the Berlin Wall  in order to completely cut itself off from West Germany.   East Germany was firmly entrenched in becoming a socialist/fascist state, and threatened by the freedom offered on the other side. The barrier they built included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, and it included anti-vehicle trenches and defenses meant to keep people from defecting from the communist side to the democratic side.  In the post-World War II period from 1961 to 1990, over 5,000 Continue Reading

Beachball Therapy- Not!

Have you ever tried to hold a beach ball underwater?  It takes a lot of energy and focus.  You may be trying to hide it from someone else in the pool, trying to make nice and act like you don’t have it.  But invariably, something will happen – you get distracted, you loosen your grip, someone calls your name, and whoosh! That beach ball ascends to the surface with astounding speed, and once it starts, it’s almost impossible to stop.  The force with which it reveals itself can be surprising and shocking. That’s the way the world tries to Continue Reading