APPLAUDING THE BLUES Morality and Happiness As I drove past the corner of Broadway and Vista, I was given the finger by a driver plowing out of turn through a four-way stop sign. A few days later in broad daylight,

A friend recently mentioned that getting old is inevitable, but growing up is optional. He and I share the desire to keep our minds as young and as flexible as possible to belie our aging bodies. We are not alone

“Ancient Egyptians believed that chaos is the first and most necessary ingredient in the universe. It could sweep you away, but it was also the place from which all things start anew.”  (Jodi Picoult, The Book of Two Ways). Chaos

I’m Upset  Homelessness, a national crisis, is even more of a problem in Oregon. It is number four in the per capita number of people unhoused. The city reminds me more and more of a giant refugee camp similar those

Groupthink vs. Freethink Conformity, obedience, diffused responsibility, and  groupthink control behavior,  challenging an  individual’s reactions to an emergency. The power of the crowd compels conformity. We all have a desire to fit in, be liked, and not be considered a

Pulled from Fear People overcome by fear receive lots of advice. If you belong in this category, I’m sure you heard it all. Take time out. It’s impossible to think clearly when you’re flooded with fear or anxiety. … Breathe

With much of life shrouded in mystery people, choose different ways to embrace the unknown. Living with uncertainty is difficult, and knowing how to adapt to new information, even more so. The pandemic unveiled a prime example of the confusion

A Ninth Intelligence? Is there such a thing as existential, spiritual, moral Intelligence? Harvard Professor of Cognition and Education, Howard Gardner, says it is worth considering. He defines it as “the ability to be sensitive to, or have the capacity

For the past three years, I’ve been grandma to two African-American children whose parents immigrated from Ethiopia and Somalia. We meet weekly to do art and science projects,  read, and take excursions in area parks. The escalation of Omicron brought

Most of us don’t know what is going on in our family’s or neighbor’s heads, let alone the country. You might be pleasantly surprised they’re engaged in many activities aimed at improving lives. How can you be happy if you