“Liam got his period,” my middle-school-aged daughter casually mentioned. That was about five years ago, and it was the first time my brain circuitry fritzed around gender expression. When I was growing up only girls got periods—and girls only used she/her pronouns. But with patience and practice over the last few years, my neurons are steadily rewiring into a whole new network for referring to gender.
Overheard at the doctor’s office recently: “Do you identify as Caucasian or non-Caucasian?” A secretary was screening a patient over the phone with what’s become a common question—one I hadn’t…
In my recent post (Don’t Box Us In), I explored a subtle way our society perpetuates a sense of racial division, which had me wondering how we might accelerate systemic…
I never shoot the breeze anymore, even in the middle of a casual conversation. You won’t see me sweating bullets under any circumstances. And nothing can trigger me, although it…
This month’s post on reducing gun violence (The Gun Problem and a Silver Bullet Remedy) prompts me to highlight a remarkable and well-known nonprofit organization—Everytown for Gun Safety. Everytown encompasses…
After a year of pandemic strangeness tinged with fear and isolation, society is poised for change like we’ve never seen in our lifetimes. Still, there remains much suffering that stems…
So, how has your life been after a year of pandemic standstill? While our family is managing okay and feeling fortunate in the grand scheme, it’s our daughters’ experience that…
Last week’s post spoke to bridging cultural and philosophical divides, as told through the story of my own Jewish-Catholic marriage. This made finding a thematically connected nonprofit a bit challenging,…
Picture the type of person you think represents society’s worst enemy today. Is it a Wall Street hedge fund manager? Proud Boy Q-Anon follower? Third-world refugee? A communist? Then fast-forward…
The Women’s March four years ago was a reflexive response by women who felt cheated by a system dominated by men since its inception. I’m grateful that the worldwide march…