Category Archives: Paying Attention

Being friends with your adult children

Posted on February 9, 2019 by hessd

I want to begin with one of my favorite quotes from The West Wing.  Lisa Wolfe is a staffer in a Republican Senate, which controls the confirmation of federal judges.  Josh Lyman is a staffer in a Democratic White House, … Continue reading →

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Thou shalt not share false witness

Posted on January 12, 2019 by hessd

It looks just a little odd, doesn’t it? And yet, you know exactly what I am referring to. The language of the 8th commandment (by at least one ordering of the commandments) reads “bear false witness” and “share false witness” … Continue reading →

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Yellow (Caution) lights

Posted on December 22, 2018 by hessd

Since my neighborhood Starbucks closed, I have been walking further in the morning to get coffee for Bette and me. A very urban route it is, too. And when I walk on Broadway going west or on Weidler coming back … Continue reading →

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Quod vide

Posted on December 12, 2018 by hessd

For every person who knows what quod vide means, there are probably 100 or more who would see q.v. in some material they are reading and know what it meant without even thinking about it. It may be that q.v. … Continue reading →

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Mother Theresa is a Servant

Posted on July 16, 2018 by hessd

And a hero.  And a saint.  You never hear anything bad about Mother Theresa. [1] And if you were waiting for me to say that I am going to stand up and start criticizing, you will wait for a long … Continue reading →

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“Wartime moral clarity and passion”

Posted on April 10, 2018 by hessd

I had never heard of Nitsuh Abebe before he wrote this piece. In fact, I had failed to notice that the New York Times Magazine carried a feature every week called “First Words.” Since “First Words” is about language and … Continue reading →

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Racism and Sexism, treated by The Good Doctor.

Posted on January 25, 2018 by hessd

If you were here, I would dearly love to turn to you, as I did to Bette, and say, “What just happened?” Here is what I think happened. In the first season of The Good Doctor, they have developed a … Continue reading →

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Do revolutions eat their children?

Posted on December 18, 2017 by hessd

Usually, yes. They do. I don’t think it is unavoidable, though, and I’d like to think about it with you today. The “revolution” I have in mind today isn’t really a revolution in the strict sense; it is the women’s … Continue reading →

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Recharge your battery!

Posted on December 13, 2017 by hessd

There is a new ad by a product called 5 Hour Energy that I found really appealing—until I had a chance to think about it. [1] Then I found it appalling. Today I’d like to write about the appalling part. … Continue reading →

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The Risk-averse servant

Posted on May 18, 2017 by hessd

This story, recorded by both Matthew and Luke, has been given a lot of different interpretations. I’ve been working/playing with it recently and I have three observations I would like to make. Before I get into the observation-making business, let … Continue reading →

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