How To Start a Cult*

February 16, 2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

Find an issue people are able to get passionate about, say, child trafficking. 2. Share information and increase the outrage. Start with facts, but insert the occasional manufactured story to test the waters. Maybe try Pizza Gate. 3. Increase paranoia by suggesting that so much is hidden from the public. Again, use actual cases, for […]

Black History Month People

February 3, 2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Don’t know about you, but I have so much to learn. “The time is always right to do what is right” MLK said. The rest is up to me.

The Eyes Say It All

November 1, 2017.Reading time 2 minutes.

I put down the cellphone and glanced to see my husband seething across the table. “I can’t believe you answered that during dinner!” “I thought it was important,” I pleaded for forgiveness. It hadn’t been important, a social call from my sister. “Sorry.” We were dining out; I don’t know what overcame me. I’m usually […]

Blessing Of Interracial Union

September 16, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

“What’s her name?” “I can’t tell you.” “What? Why not? Do I know her?” “No, Mom. If I tell you her name, you’ll ask too many questions that I’m not ready to answer yet.” “Oh.” “A son is sweetness and strength and mystery;” Call it Mother’s intuition, but I could tell there was someone special […]

A Timely Message from Someone In the Know

June 29, 2017.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Originally posted on policecommander:
? I think I might have done a TEDx Talk… I think you might be able to watch it here… ? ? ? ?

Baatis and Chinese Food

January 2, 2017.Reading time 1 minute.

“These Christmases never cease to amaze me and make me feel so special!!” messaged our daughter-in-law after this year’s family get together. With five adult children, their partners, grandchildren, and exes to work around, finding time to get together is always a challenge. Plus, just how many turkey dinners can one eat in a week’s […]

The Risks of Playing in Traffic

September 19, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

Go play in traffic, kids! was a favourite direction of one of my aunt’s. This particular aunt was snarly, often critical, and never filtered in her commentary on life. Her favourite point of contention was how spoiled we children were, how unappreciative, etc. She also frequently threatened to move to Alaska to get away from […]

Childhood Home

The place remains in my dreamslike a movie set preserved… Have assigned each rooma critique – disclosed the crimes Yet, it remains, like a beacondraws me to it, begs reflection What if I could go backnow that I can breathe Now that I’ve laid claim to maturity;would I discover a sudden windfall? Makeover conditioned motifs;reevaluate […]

Human Toll

Talks stalledescapees strugglelives minimizedburdens heavydespair palpable Can they sensethe global hug,compassion circling? Do prayers have substance,or have the displacednever felt so alone? (Image mine)

Wasn’t Meant to Be

Love evolves –a considerationwe overlookedthose day whenpassion drove usto fanciful displays Tried to align myselfto the certaintyof your dreamsbut my compasswas set elsewhere Memory, thoughhas tattooed uson my heart;the ink still bleeds. (Tuesdays, I borrow from Twitter @Vjknutson. Image mine.)