Dimensionally Barrett

“  All we can do is our best, and sometimes, the best that we can do, is to start over." ” - Peggy Carter (1) The planet has completed, almost, an entire revolution since last marked by January 1, 2021. Time is often arbitrary and exists in human determined segments for solely for human purposes. The rest of the cosmos is unlikely to care much, and the farther along I go, the less I care, too. About time, that is. About other things, there is still very much to care about and care for. It’s still important to care about the environment and care for it, regardless of how near we are to ultimate climate catastrophe. It’s still important to care about bringing a little more (preferably, a lot more) peace into the world among us human animals. This includes caring about human rights and the numerous sub-headings under that rubric. It means caring about people we disagree with, no matter how seemingly difficult it is to do so.  Notice that I put the environment ahead of humanity...

I wonder at how we hold the space for this day. On the one hand, it is lovely to set aside a day of and for expressing gratitude. At the same time, we as a society are more than ever fraught with division, if no outright mutual scorn.   Thanksgiving Day has its origin as a national holiday from another time of great contention and greater bloodshed. While President Lincoln established the day as a national holiday on Thursday, November 26, 1863, he had issued earlier proclamations. As Heather Cox Richardson points out , these were morale boosters to the northern states but I would add that they served a broader purpose. United in giving thanks can evoke a sense of appreciation for all things given us and this turn enriches our inner lives, if but for a moment. I believe Lincoln and others were aware of this, not the least of whom was Sarah Josepha Hale who lobbied Lincoln for establishing such a day.  There is another layer to this day that has its roots in the so-calle...

Preamble Three pieces of legislation have passed into law at the Texas state capitol that are at least damaging to the health and well-being of almost everyone in this state, even those who think they may not be affected but any of these bills, at all. Like many in the Lone Star State, I am livid and have expressed my not always polite or measured views of the governing representatives and their approach to governance repeatedly.  The passage of all three pieces is why. However, the issue transcends borders. With the successful passage of three of the worst bills in Texas, if not U.S., history, a clear signal has gone out to other states to follow suit. Additionally, to no one’s surprise, the Supreme Court of the United States has supported the anti-abortion bill.  The sorriest aspect of the legacy of the four years of the previous administration is the stacking of courts at all levels with movement conservatives with an agenda to turn the clock back to the 1920s. Every...

I don’t recall when I met Farhad Zaheer. However, I have followed him over the years and watched his journey unfold as a supporter and advocate for Afghan children at risk, particularly those with critical health issues.   Recently, Farhad contacted me about circulating/publishing the following essay. It is a lovely and honest piece that I find inspiring and hopeful. I hope you do, too. I have a couple of requests. If you know of any outlet that could publish this and give Farhad’s story a broader audience, please contact Farhad directly for permission to do so. The second request is to append his Facebook contact information with the manuscript accordingly.  His contact information follows below. Please read and enjoy “My American Mom Made Me a Better Muslim.” https://www.facebook.com/afghan.farhad https://www.facebook.com/FarhadsCharitableWorks/ farhad201@hotmail.com My American Mom Made Me a Better Muslim by Farhad Zaheer As a child, I studied at school in th...

Photo credit: United Nations Like so many, I’ve been attempting to process the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. As a friend of mine messaged me yesterday, “We have been suffering like this for forty years.” Not that our presence assuaged any of that suffering, but withdrawing they way we are certainly isn’t helping. I haven’t looked at polls to see how this is tracking with American citizens but I do understand that Republicans are pig-piling on Biden for the mess that this exit is. Frankly, in terms of the actual mechanics and operational aspects, I wouldn’t expect anything else. Our departure from Vietnam wasn’t exactly elegant. I would argue that this is far worse, though. For humanitarian reasons alone, leaving behind a country to deal with the Taliban and now, ISIS-K, is a horrible failure of policy and a miserable act of bad faith. We are not going to be able to grant everyone safe harbor or for that matter, a guarantee of safely making it out of the country. Releasing names ...