In 1992 the 102nd U.S. Congress declared, via joint resolution 174, that May become National ALS Awareness Month. Part of the text speaks to “finding the causes of, and the cure for, ALS will prevent the…
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” –Mike Tyson The author Lee Child includes that quote in his Jack Reacher crime novel series as part of the title character’s mantra. Reacher always endeavors to strike the first blow. The…
“The mind ought sometimes to be diverted that it may return to better thinking.” –Phaedrus (Plato) During these surreal times that shake us to our core, a mindless diversion is welcome: Have you heard the one about the three professional killers who walked…
The ancient Greeks first introduced the term “parrhesia,” meaning “free speech,” around the end of the fifth century B.C. From a literal perspective, ALS has taught me that the concept is a misnomer. Like nearly everything else, there is…
Recently I chanced upon a re-broadcast of an entrée from the PBS series, “American Masters.” As the subject, Andrew Wyeth, was one of my late dad’s favorite artists, I enthusiastically opted in. It did not disappoint. Beyond inspiring…
“Baby, you can drive my car …” I was reminded of that Beatles lyric last Sunday while listening to my pastor’s sermon. Titled, “Taking the Back Seat,” the sermon’s theme was about subordinating our desire for control in favor of…
“I don’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member.” That sentiment, expressed by comedian Groucho Marx in 1949 about his affiliation with a particular social organization, was exactly my reaction in learning of…
“Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it’s been.” –Grateful Dead, “Truckin’“ Last month, I quietly acknowledged the 13th anniversary of my ALS diagnosis. As in years past, I mentioned the occasion’s passing to no one. Instead, the…
Upon the death of someone with ALS, a common theme is often invoked. Words such as heroic or courageous may be chosen to characterize the deceased. The disease’s course is invariably described as a battle or fight. The implication is that ALS is a brutal and unscrupulous enemy.
It’s Thanksgiving Day tomorrow in the United States. Unsurprisingly, the evolution of its celebration has been shaped by our nation’s cultural dynamism. Rooted in religious ritual imported by the initial European settlers, it was institutionalized by the constitutional congress, with specific…
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