I know I’m not alone in my heartache at not being able to visit my aging friends in care homes on both sides of the Pond, all now on pandemic lockdown. In England, I had been making regular visits to my dear friend, Glenda, whose body has been ravaged by Parkinson’s, often throwing her into…
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It was my last morning walk through the verdant Cotswold countryside before beating a hasty, virus-prompted retreat to the States. I had left our little cottage in Buckland, turned down the bridle path leading to the adjacent village of Laverton, then climbed over a wooden stile into a grassy field full of sheep, heavy with…
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The first time I ever saw empty shelves in grocery stores was behind the Iron Curtain in 1972 in what was then called Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Long lines waited to get whatever meager supplies were available in that communist utopia. In more remote areas of the USSR, I also discovered a novel supply of…
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Tired of being house-bound? Enviously watching re-runs of “The Great Escape” and wishing you were Steve McQueen fleeing the prison camp on his iconic motorcycle? Living under virtual house arrest is, well, surreal. On the upside, what a boon to have quality time with the family. And to fix things around the house and clear…
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As if the battle against coronavirus weren’t daunting enough, there is now the battle over when and how to reopen society so that people can get back to work. It’s a battle of lives versus livelihoods. For those of us older, retired folks with a secure income, saving lives seems paramount. But for many out-of-work…
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During this pandemic isolation, I’ve been taking trips down memory lane, reading through journals from my travels when I was a single, carefree globetrotter. But apparently less carefree than I’d remembered, having repeatedly recorded in my notes: “Feeling lonely.” As a bachelor until I was 48, I knew what it meant to be lonesome. Free…
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In the “new normal” brought on by the coronavirus, we all know the rule: Keep six feet apart! Contagion spreads from person to person as well as from surface to surface. On our hurriedly-rescheduled flight back from England, it obviously wasn’t possible to keep six feet apart from fellow passengers. And despite assurances that the…
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You know it’s serious when even “church” is locked down! Giving new meaning to “And Can It Be?” Of course, worship itself isn’t being closed down. In fact—praise God!—there seems to be more worship than ever, even on network television which normally flees from faith as if it were a virus. Thanks to technology, we…
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Is it just my imagination, or are the skies actually bluer these days? They’re certainly quieter, with far fewer planes in their usual patterns overhead. Not exactly like the eerie silence in the days immediately following 9/11, but sufficiently reminiscent as to remind us how quickly our world can change. Individual lives can change in…
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Experiencing “Zoom fatigue” yet? If you’re working from home, you may find that you are caught up in more Zoom meetings than ever in person at the office. Or perhaps your days are filled with distance learning by Zoom. Or you’re “Zooming” to worship with your scattered congregation on the Lord’s Day. Then there are…
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