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Today’s blogging prompt asked me to explain the socioeconomic class structure in the neighborhood where I grew up. That would be West Mifflin, PA. I have six attempts in my drafts folder. All devolved from thoughtful class analysis of a working class suburb into various rants. Clearly, I have some unresolved issues with my hometown. […]
Happy Endings Tell us about something you’ve tried to quit. Did you go cold turkey, or for gradual change? Did it stick? I grew up with pop (soda) as a treat. My parents were firm about drinking milk for dinner whether at home or in a restaurant (in those days, no restaurants served juice.) Occasionally, […]
On September 5, 1991, I was a college senior at Marymount University in Arlingtong, Virginia. I had no idea that a few miles down Glebe Road, a giant condom action was launched at the home of Senator Jesse Helms – an action centered around HIV/AIDS treatment. Mind you, I read the Washington Post each day. […]
“Courage is grace under pressure” is a famous quotation by Ernest Hemingway. Tell us about a personal moment of your grace under pressure. I’m having more fun researching the quotes than I expected. This is actually not an accurate quote, nor did Hemingway himself write it.The character said the following in a movie about Hemingway: […]
Like most folks in their 40’s and above, I grew up watching wholesome television like “Walton’s Mountain” – a CBS family drama that aired from 1972 to 1981. I probably only watched the final 3 or 4 seasons and caught the remainder in reruns. I was fascinated by the time period – it was like […]
It doesn’t bother me when someone says “I read/listened to you and I need more information because I don’t understand how to be helpful.” In fact, that is a terrific response because it indicates that someone is trying to understand, wants to be helpful and is willing to invest a little time and energy into […]
No, I’m not writing about Sylvie (OMG – that was scarring), the historical inaccuracies of the show or when Pa shot Bunny the horse. The list of horrifying moments in this beloved series is pretty long – Mary going blind, Baby Charles dies, Baby Wilder dies, the wagon accident with James and Cassandra’s biological parents, […]
The Prompt: Tell us about a time when you felt out of place. A few quick anecdotes. When I started graduate school at Pitt in the School of Social Work, the other students in the Community Organizing track included about a half-dozen fresh from college folks in their early 20s. There was another half-dozen or […]
Last season, the hit CBS sitcom “Mike and Molly” went astray with two jokes about transgender women, specifically using the slur “shemale.” That very same weekend, a movie starring Melissa McCarthy used another slur, “tranny.” Trish provided some brilliant insight into exactly why these terms are slurs and not fodder for humor, especially on CBS […]
The Prompt: Are you easily tricked? Do you fall for things? Sure, I fall for things and people and ideas all of the time. I also fall for pranks and lines and ridiculously catchy pop songs. I’m susceptible to feel good stories, perhaps because I hear so many of the opposite kind. But I’m not a […]
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