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The Epiphany
For over a month, a Family member has been recovering from an acute illness and we’ve rallied around our Patient, while often fumbling through questions around what actually constitutes help vs what only makes us, the powerless bystanders, feel better. The early days in the hospital were straightforward; weeks later, we’re out of emergency mode,… Continue reading
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The Bigger Jar
The world goes on whether we are living in it or not. The sun rises whether we have the wherewithal to raise our heads or not. Let’s do a whirlwind tour through select parts of my life: – At age 2, I was told I had to be moved to the 3-year old class because… Continue reading
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Critical Consciousness
Prompt: What is that feeling or state of mind when someone is highly sensitive to injustices in the world, keenly aware how of different perspectives the one most vocal gets to set the defining narratives. Gemini 2.5 Pro: Critical Consciousness: This is the intellectual and analytical core of the state you’re describing. It’s the keen… Continue reading
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Chasm
“You’re in my house!” was the first sentence to come out of my Daughter’s mouth when, upon parking and exiting her car, she spotted me in the parking lot of her apartment complex. I was standing a couple of cars away, having just paused my vehicle, still in the lane. I was careful to be several… Continue reading
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Music Lyrics, Movie Lines, Quotes (Routinely Updated)
“Is history so simple that it has only one “right” side?”Beryl Lieff Benderly, Washington “All people engage in what psychiatrists call motivated reasoning — we adjust the facts to suit our arguments” Georgetown law professor Rosa Brooks “You got the chance to tell everybody your side; it’s my turn to tell ’em mine.” LANY “To… Continue reading
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The Southern Belle: How a Sweet Persona Became a Strategic Public Relations Tool (with Gemini 2.5 Pro)
I have long been perplexed by the women in the 21st century who admire the ways of the Southern Belle. It’s a multibillion-dollar industry. I have not taken the time to explore it in great detail, as obviously, I did not grow up with this cultural concept in Hungary, and upon my arrival into 9th… Continue reading
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Texting while Recovering from COVID
My thanks to the stranger who, out of the blue, received the below text message from an unknown phone number and kindly chose not to reply. “Tom – I cannot believe your number popped into my draft text messages as I tried to text Todd. It’s been several years but I still think about you. … Continue reading
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Psychological Protection
This week someone, listening to me describe a past situation, mentioned “it sounds like you didn’t have any protection.” It was one of those moments where my brain came to a screeching halt, but my gut said I needed to pursue. I spent a few moments unresponsive. Seeing my stunned expression, the person said a… Continue reading
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The Day after Mother’s Day
We have an older friend who is slipping into dementia. We visited her recently and she was keenly struggling with her short-term memory, but was sharp as a tack regarding many other things. She mentioned she talks to her Daughter every day (which we knew was not likely because of other circumstances), but she went… Continue reading
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I am glad you are here. If this is the first time you are visiting this site, the following is a quick orientation. To read a single-perspective account of a Family’s complicated history from old Hungary to the highly-nuanced United States, please look for chapter numbering (zero to nine); the chapters build on one-another in numerical order. No chapter is meant to be a standalone one. There are also titles without a chapter designation; those are short writings about a broad range of seemingly random topics. Thank You for arriving with lovingkindness.
One More Perspective 