A worldwide pandemic. That is what we have all been through together. The whole world. That still amazes me. We know that people have had varied experiences during this massive upheaval of our lives. Yet all of us experienced the pandemic at the same time. We are going through the recovery at the same time. That fact fascinates me. I think of future generations and the stories we will tell. Remember the beginning? Shock. Fear. Confusion. Finally, acceptance that we had to sta

As I struggled to find words for my sorrow, Lisa's email arrived. She said it better than I could. I would like to share her words with you. (I added the photos.) This is a guest post from Annalisa Gibbs, Founder and CEO of Eden’s Farm, Pittsburgh. If you would like to find out more about Eden's Farm, please see link below. Dear Friends, I write to you now after about thirty-six hours since the shooting in Atlanta. I am of Asian descent. I am Thai American. I stumble here no

Hey #NotAllMen We never said it was all men. And if you heard that, it’s not the majority. But the majority wants you to shut up. #NotAllMen You have not earned the privilege you think you have; to mansplain every fucking thing to us. Even our own realities. Especially our own realities. #NotAllMen Stop interrupting us; stop inserting your voice into our conversations. Your mouths need to close. #NotAllMen You must stop with your ridiculous need to not-let-us-get-a-word- In-w

No one should be kept in captivity. All people have the right to live free lives with dignity and respect.

Imagine this: The danger is not to women. Rapes don’t happen in society, but surprisingly, dicks get cut off quite often. At an alarming rate. We call this Castration Culture. Men complain but there is nothing society does to stop it. The newspapers talk about it and describe what the man was wearing and doing at the time that may have influenced him getting his dick cut off. The reporters get complaints about titillation in their reporting. People make jokes about it. Men ar

July I am flinging myself into my house. Not around the house. INTO the house. I am decluttering with an energy that is focused and frantic at the same time. Emotional turmoil has done me in. I did not have my defenses up. These last two years have taken their toll and I know I’m not the only one that feels this way. I am weary. I hate everyone. Even the people I love and respect out there. I am cranky. I load up stuff for the thrift store, filling my car, over and over. I

I am tired of hearing about this violence over and over again. Rape. Rape. Rape Culture. Victims. Survivors.  Vulnerable women, youths and children. Their stories. Oh, so many stories. And now another one, closer to home. I was just told that a 14-year-old child of a friend was raped by her boyfriend. Same story. The same story I have heard so many times. As is often the case, this was her first introduction to what some term sex. I remember the friends in high school raped b

#TRIGGERWarning: Explicit & possibly upsetting content about #Rape NOTE: I edited this on February 12th, 2015, taking out the link to sign the petition at change.org. I am happy to report that the management at Heinz Hall DID THE RIGHT THING and Bill Cosby's appearance has been canceled. Amen. (Original post: 2015) I understand why the Heinz Hall Management in Pittsburgh is reluctant to postpone the Bill Cosby appearance. It’s about the money. It could be very expensive to pa