Like many like-minded people across the globe, I am always stunned by the abject lack of guilt that gets displayed by Donald Trump and much of his following, whether in the Administration, Congress, the Judiciary or the general public. Let’s start by asking ourselves what exactly guilt is. Guilt is a powerful moral emotion that serves as an internal compass for our behavior and relationships. Guilt is the uncomfortable feeling we experience when we believe…
One of those great conflicts that regularly afflicts me (and probably other liberal-minded sorts) is how to balance the Good Samaritan aspects of the ethos I try hard to consistently espouse and the lifestyle we live and like to maintain. I long ago determined that I am no Sister Teresa that insists on living my life with no creature comforts. I look to Pope Francis, someone who most would agree chose, even as Pope, to…
I’m on day 36 of this weight loss juggernaut and am glad to report that I have lost 20 pounds since starting Zepbound (5 weekly shots so far, ratcheting up from the initial 2.5mg dose to this month’s 5mg). That makes 40 pounds off since the beginning of June, and 60 pounds since moving to this hilltop five years ago. I attribute the first 20 to changing my life to a more active one around…
The clothes make the man, right? The phrase “clothes make the man” has roots going back to ancient Rome, but it took a winding path to become the expression we know today. It’s ancient origins come from the Latin saying “vestis virum facit” (literally “clothes make the man”), which was already a proverb in classical times. The idea was that your clothing revealed your social status and character. The Dutch scholar Erasmus included this saying…
Time is a big deal because it’s the one truly non-renewable resource – the only thing you can never get back or make more of. It’s finite and uncertain. You don’t know how much you have. Could be 80 years, could be 80 days. This uncertainty creates urgency and forces us to make choices about what matters most. Every “yes” to one thing is automatically a “no” to something else. Some say that it’s the…
Over the years, in many houses that I’ve owned, I furnished and decorated them in almost as many different ways as one could. 50 years ago my first house, purchased when I was only 23 years old, was decorated with discount furniture, American style. That was by necessity since the purchase of that home tapped out all of my savings and all of my borrowing power on my credit cards. By the time I purchased…
Back in 1990 when I was moving to Toronto by myself, I went out and bought some furniture for this wonderful two-bedroom, two-bath apartment I had rented to live in during my tenure as CEO of BT Bank of Canada. Given that my tour in Toronto had been likened in the industry as my being sent to a Russian Gulag, it was not so Gulag-like on the ground, but actually rather nice surroundings. The one…
Every once in a while a coincidence will happen that makes you wonder about who exactly has his hand on the tiller of the universe. Back in 2006, Kim and I were meeting some friends for dinner at a restaurant on the upper east side of Manhattan. Neither of us frequented the area, but Kim had an orthopedic appointment nearby. In fact, I noted that I had last been in that same area in 2005…
Tonight I am entertaining Kim’s family for the second night. They are here to honor the death a few days ago of her and their sibling. Unfortunately, since everyone grieves differently, some in the family are simply not ready to convene, so its all a bit of a broken play. Kim is at her final dress rehearsal for her show, which plays tomorrow and Saturday. She is going through a lot this week, so I…
There’s a biblical proverb reference we’ve all heard and that is often quoted as “Pride goeth before a fall” or more fully, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). It’s a timeless warning about how arrogance and overconfidence can lead to one’s downfall. When people become too proud or self-assured, they often stop being cautious, stop listening to advice, or overestimate their abilities – which sets them up for…