Daily Life

We recently gave up our landline. We had that phone number for many years, since the kids were little. It was sad to see it go—but somewhat liberating.  I resisted parting with our landline for years. My reasoning was that in an emergency (especially a catastrophic one), our cellphones might not work.  I kept a…

How do young kids learn to call 911? A long, long time ago, a child could simply run to a phone wired into the wall, pick up the receiver, hear a tone, and dial (either push button or rotary). The good old landline. When my husband and I got rid of our landline a few weeks ago,…

Residents slump over wheelchair armrests in the overly air-conditioned “living room.” The television blasts a folk tune hijacked for a diabetes drug. Off to the right and left, like airport runways, lights over patient rooms flank the corridors, because the staff has turned off the call bells. A woman alone in her room cries, “Help…

If only I could go back and hand this girl the list. . .

A few months ago, I fell while running and broke my dominant wrist. The radius was in many pieces, but it somehow managed to stay intact. My surgeon decided to watch and wait, but four weeks later, even I could see on the X-ray that the bone was splitting lengthwise. It was time for surgery. This meant…

Recently, I fell while running in my basement and broke my right wrist. Yes, you read that right. I run [ran] 5K in an oval in my basement three times a week, because I’m afraid of falling off a treadmill or tripping in a pothole outside. . . That morning, I caught my toe on…

One of the books found in William E. Dimorier’s personal library was The Meaning of Service, by Harry Emerson Fosdick, published in 1921. It, perhaps, more than any other of William’s books, illustrates his life of service. Fosdick graduated from Colgate University in 1900, three years before William, so they had probably met one another there. After…

You may love or hate Facebook, but I often find valuable information in my newsfeed. For instance, I recently came across a link to the article, “What to Do in an Active Shooter Situation” by Brett and Kate McKay on a Website called The Art of Manliness. I encourage you to take the time to read…