I realize I’m dating myself, but I remember when this time of year brought widespread recommendations in various media about good “summer reads.” Namely, enjoyable books that one could take to the beach or other vacation outings. However, to put The Harbinger in the good-read-for-summer category strikes me as a bit of an insult. The…
Read more
Several more days and it will be July. The peak of summer used to frustrate me. Hard to get much work when everyone is on vacation, or at the beach, or disappearing for a week around the Fourth of July. No longer. I have learned to love the coming month, if for no other reason…
Read more
I eat lunch regularly with a pair of 20-somethings. Not only do I want to act as an informal mentor, I want to stay in touch with the younger generation and avoid turning into an old fogey—a fate I’ve seen befall too many seniors. Something I’ve noticed about my younger companions is that neither carries…
Read more
I made a quick trip to Boston last weekend to present a writers workshop for a client. This event marked a personal milestone. Although I had been a speaker or workshop leader at several conferences, this was my first time as the only speaker. I reflected on its significance several days prior to my flight…
Read more
The times are a-changing, a fact underscored by two recent stories on different news services. However, to those who bemoan the loss of church as a socially-respectable, popular idea, I would say: this situation may be a blessing in disguise. The first concerned a legal battle pitting the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston against a group…
Read more
My wife and I recently attended two community forums organized by a woman concerned over the calamity in our city wrought by heroin and other drugs. We were shocked to learn that heroin overdose deaths in 2015 in our city are projected to be six times the national average. Nor does it matter where you…
Read more
I first saw the story of a company’s startling pay increases on the NBC evening news, but it has garnered considerable attention elsewhere. The move has eye-popping value. The owner of a credit card processing company decided to pay all of his 120 employees at least $70,000 a year by 2018, which means some will…
Read more
In about two weeks my brother and his wife will celebrate 40 years of marriage, having tied the knot about four years before I did the same. The older I get, the more grateful I am for the faithfulness of my parents, who were married for 42 years before my mother died. As in any…
Read more
The recent story that an apple a day may not keep the doctor makes for good headlines, but I beg to differ. There is more to this story than meets the casual eye. Granted, researchers who followed more than 8,000 people over a three-year period found those who ate an apple daily didn’t have significantly…
Read more
