Ramblings of a Retired Mind

  Ramblings of a Retired Mind How Far is Too Far? When is it too far—truly too far? That question has gnawed at me like a vulture on a carcass for the past two weeks. A Lifelong Big Mouth I’ve always had a big mouth—not in size, but in words. As a child, I grew so accustomed to hearing, “Why would you say that?” that the question barely registered anymore. Now, at seventy-two, I still hear it. Perhaps the real question I should ask is: “Why do I say aloud what others only think in silence?” Yet, if I’m honest, I rarely ask it at all. How the World Sees Me vs. How I See Myself To the outside world, this makes me look selfish. Inside, I see myself differently. I am forever telling myself: “Question everything. Challenge others to prove they are awake.” One small point of pride: I never challenge another’s faith. Religion is too personal. Still, since reconnecting with the faith of my ancestors, I’ve wondered why all Jews didn’t embrace Christianity in its time. Was it st...

  Ramblings of a Retired Mind: The Samovar A few weeks ago, I opened my laptop and checked my email. My inbox was overflowing with offers—each more ridiculous than the last. One promised free samples , no strings attached—unless you count handing over all your personal information as a string. Another urged me to “sponsor” a lovely young woman fleeing the devastation in Ukraine. Just one click to connect—though if blondes aren’t your thing, brunettes were available too. Two messages later, I was greeted with a miracle product that guaranteed to banish every trace of lime and rust from my toilet. “Never use a toilet brush again!” it proudly proclaimed. Sifting through my inbox felt like panning for gold—only instead of nuggets, I kept pulling up spam and promotional sludge. An Email That Mattered About twenty messages down, I finally found an email from someone I knew: my cousin Alice. Alice is my father’s second cousin—technically my second cousin once removed—and the offic...

  Ramblings of a Retired Mind I Wake Up, I Go to Sleep I wake up. I get out of bed. I go to the bathroom. I brush my teeth. I take my pills. I make my bed. And then— I do my day. At some point, I eat. Later, I brush my teeth again, take my pills again, and eventually, I go to sleep. That’s the cycle. Over and over. But what did I do during the day? Did I garden, pull weeds, or cut the lawn? Did I take a walk, or did I sit inside staring out the window? Was it sunny or cloudy? Did I even notice? Was it garbage day? Did I remember to lock the door, turn off the lights, put my glasses somewhere I could find them later? Did I meet with someone, or was it another solitary day? Was I alone in bed? Did I dream? Did I have a nightmare? Sometimes I wonder if I woke up during the night, or if I slept right through. Sometimes I wonder if I slept at all. I fall. I get up. I look for my glasses. I forgot what I was looking for. And then— I wake up. I get out of bed. I go...

  Ramblings of a Retired Mind Anti-American? Not long ago, I shared a quote from Robert Reich on Facebook. He suggested that the rest of the world should join together in a trade deal that excluded the United States, in response to Trump’s tariffs on so many countries. The implication was clear: sometimes the only way to deal with a bully is to push back hard. The reactions rolled in—some agreeing, some disagreeing—but one comment stood out. Someone called me “anti-American” for not supporting the president and his policies. That struck me as deeply ironic. Disagreeing with the government is not anti-American—it’s one of the most American things you can do. The First Amendment: The Heart of America Our Constitution covers many things—how the government is divided, how elections work, how new states can join the Union—but the very first amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridg...