In 1941, half my town was taken over by the government, and the people there had to move out and find new homes. Country folks packed up their belongings on pickup trucks. They made arrangements to move their livestock and farm equipment to a new destination, leaving their friends and community behind. The reason for …
Continue reading The Cow Pasture Battles of 1940, Chapter 2 of “Nauvoo”
I knew the man didn't like me as soon as I looked into his eyes. I hadn't noticed him as I walked into the darkness of the museum toward the ticket booth. He was about 80 years old, wearing a Duke University baseball cap, and directly in my path. He tapped his mask, indicating, without …
Continue reading The Lessons of Gossip, Slander, and Name Calling
One, two, three!You gotta know how to pony like Bony MaronieMashed Potato, do the AlligatorPut your hands on your hips, let your back-bone slipDo the Watusi, like my little LucyNa, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na, na na na na. "Land of a Thousand Dances" was written …
Continue reading “The Land of a Thousand Dances”-Traveling with the Forrest Gump Soundtrack
Education is of very great importance to me, followed by the quality of stubbornness. Like many families, my relatives don't like to talk much about feelings. Dark secrets are buried, and many tales are hidden away. As Yuval Noah Harari writes in his book, Sapiens, all cultures are based on stories, and those in power …
Continue reading India-The Value of Education and Stubbornness
June 29 and 30, 2001 Took time to relax, read, and think. I brought a biography with me, The Man of the Century, The Life and Times of Pope John Paul II by Jonathan Kwitny. I'm reading this big book for a lot of reasons. First of all, I'm 100% Polish American, second generation in this …
June 23, 2001 Left the house at 10:30. Talked to my daughter before I left. Stopped in Ogdensburg for gas and lunch. The girl at the gas station told me she wanted to hear about my trip when I got back. I'm a little apprehensive today but I know I have to do this. The …
The Autonomous Traveler 