I hesitate to say this, Nicholas, even to friends, maybe especially to friends, for reasons that will surely be obvious.  But I’m going to say it here and now because for me it’s a little breakthrough that may give me a little more ease in the world. Or a lot more. Here it is: seeing […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I think I’m getting to be more of an introvert. I understand this happens with age, but staying home for seven months (excepting runs to grocery, bank drive-through, etc) seems to have speeded up the process. When I moved my office plants home in early March, I felt a little silly imagining I […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, In the midst of the current pestilence plus a wildly dangerous hurricane spinning toward the Gulf Coast, the loss of a gathering place–a shopping center cafeteria–may seem like small potatoes. But these potatoes are a big deal to me and a lot of others in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The Raleigh paper announced today […] Read More

Cobwebs in my car?  Nicholas, I gotta tell ya: this business of staying home for months has produced some surprising little lockdown quirks at my house. Two messy people in a log house in the woods do expect surprises–like the possum that once got into our semi-outdoor washing machine–but these months at home have produced […] Read More

Terrible things happened a while back in my North Carolina hometown, Nicholas. I just read more and learned a lot I hadn’t known. My reaction is especially raw and personal because of how much I love the town and feel part of its history.  It’s an old shame that doesn’t feel old; I guess that’s […] Read More

Hi, Nicholas, I put together a list of activities I’m finding calming in these unsettling times. Eight highly-personal-to-me self-soothers or restorers of balance. I’m convinced that inner equilibrium is a small step toward health and world peace. The List 1. Contributing to favored causes in several smaller amounts on separate days instead of one larger […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I’m looking for a racial equality and justice group that pretty much agrees with me on strategy and goals. Has to be non-violent, faster-moving than simply a long-term education approach, and not insistent on total immediate dismantling of law enforcement, instead on radical rebuilding. Obsessively Searching Have been agitatedly looking, asking for recommendations on […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I’m feeling a little uncomfortable about the fact that I’m not a do-gooder. This was starting to bug me even before Covid and the killing of yet another black man. I don’t volunteer except for a little political campaigning; in the meantime, most of my family and friends are doing all kinds of […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, Because I’m healthy and was a well-fed well-behaved child, I’m not used to thinking of myself in the at-risk or vulnerable category. It’s something of a shock now to be considered because of my age–a modest 71–vulnerable to catching coronavirus and dying. I don’t believe I’m going to catch this bug and die. But […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I’m curious about the quarantine dreams that I’m told the majority of us are having. My own tally so far: first nightmare I remember ever having and several nights of difficulty getting to sleep, all since the virus and lockdown began. It had been a long time since I’d had any difficulty sleeping. […] Read More