Dear President Trump, I think you’d probably count me among ‘the haters’ that you so generously wished a Happy New Year this morning, so thank you (I guess) – it’s a smidge better than telling us to ‘eat shit and die,’ which really was the very clear subtext. Last year I told you that I … Continue reading Happy New Year
Ripple Effects
The moral arc of the universe is pretty dang bumpy
Dear President Trump, Because I am, in part, using this exercise of writing to you every day to record what I’m noticing and thinking, I want to tell you about another cool bird action I saw yesterday morning in our backyard. We’ve let our little postage stamp area of grass “go meadow” so there are … Continue reading The moral arc of the universe is pretty dang bumpy
Leading with love
Dear President Trump, Many of us are well conditioned not to brag about or even mention our own accomplishments and it is also unseemly if we get too carried away talking about our children’s, so it feels a little dicey to tell you about what our daughter’s coach said about her on Saturday. It came … Continue reading Leading with love
450 and counting
Dear President Trump, Today is letter number 450 to you. Doing the math this works out to over a million characters (assuming about 2500 characters per letter) and a little over 10 regular workweek’s worth of time (assuming about an hour per letter). When framed like this I’ve got to wonder whether this is a … Continue reading 450 and counting
POTUS fails on Management Do’s and Don’ts
Dear President Trump, This week I took the three-hour VA’s EEO Compliance Training for Managers and Supervisors. Have you taken the equivalent one for the Executive Branch? Surely there is one. If not, you can borrow ours. We have to do it every two years to stay on top of the new laws and to … Continue reading POTUS fails on Management Do’s and Don’ts
Please pull your head out
Dear President Trump, I haven’t shared anything especially positive with you lately so I thought I’d tell you what happened this morning on my run-walk. A young white man who looked like he might be homeless was standing on a corner with his skateboard out in front of him in my path. I said ‘hi’ … Continue reading Please pull your head out
Imagine
Dear President Trump, Normally during Lent I focus on giving up one of the many habits I’m not especially proud of and I am working on one this year (refraining from self-promotion that’s driven by insecurity), but I realized this morning I also need an active Lenten practice that’s doing something and not just refraining … Continue reading Imagine
People do look to you
Dear President Trump, Sadly, even though most adults in the US know not to invest any time wondering why you are so one-sided in your defense of Rob Porter, there are still millions of people, chief among them Republican women, who are probably deeply, negatively affected by it. They look to you as their Leader-in-Chief … Continue reading People do look to you
“Small things with great love”
Dear President Trump, I’m partial to the early morning hours but I also love twilight when the sun has set and the trees are dark against the still-light sky. Watching the sky slowly darken and seeing light from the first stars become visible reminds me what tiny specks we all are and how our civilization, … Continue reading “Small things with great love”
“How dreary to be somebody!”
Dear President Trump, I got back yesterday from DC where I was helping review grants for NIAAA. One of the highlights of these trips is spending time with older scientists who are done trying to make a name for themselves and are doing this to give back and contribute their hard won wisdom to the … Continue reading “How dreary to be somebody!”
