Opinions

Letters to the Editor

Grateful for Kindness Kindness in this world of ours is all too precious and often all too fleeting. People who exude and exemplify kindness make a profound difference and positively impact their communities in myriad ways. I would like to shine a light on someone who positively impacts...

It’s a matter of focus

Where focus goes, energy flows. - Tony Robbins On more than one occasion over the years I’ve come away disappointed with what I thought would be a great photograph ruined by one major mistake. It was out of focus. Ugh! You would think after a lifetime of taking pictures and being an...

reader survey: Adult children living at home, a pro or a con?

It’s becoming more common for adult children to live with their parents in the U.S., a relatively normal generational living arrangement found in European countries. According to a 2023 Harris Poll for Bloomberg, roughly 45% of individuals ages 18 to 29 live with their families – a figure...

"I’m 24 and I live at home"

Nearly half of all 20-somethings are living with their parents – myself included. No, I’m not ashamed to admit that. Moving out and living on your own is often seen as a marker of adulthood. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t dreamed about finding the perfect apartment to decorate, having...

January ushers in the perfect weather for reading great books

FICTION: “America Fantastica” is the first novel by Tim O’Brien in over 20 years. Author of “The Things They Carried,” his new novel is a farcical look at our current society. Fraudulent businessmen, crooked cops, a cross- country chase, and more. A blend of tragedy and comedy. “Do Tell...

Breaking free in 2024: Not more life as usual

Some years back, I read an account of the U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between rails) and how it came to be set at 4 ft., 8.5 inches. Why was it set at such an odd number? The reason? Because that’s the way they built them in England, and American railroads were built by British...

Playful, responsive, creative and optimistic in 2024

You may have selected a word of the year for yourself. I recently took an online “quiz” on the Washington Post website titled “What’s your nudge word for 2024?” It helped guide me to my personal word of the year: playful. I aim to add more play to my life in 2024. I’ve talked with friends...

Dalton Williams’ Fearless Predictions for 2024

The best we can say for 2023 is that it’s over. Interest rates, sea levels, and tempers rose. Interstate 526 became even more crowded and drivers less courteous. War continued in Ukraine and erupted in the Middle East. China, Iran, and Russia flexed muscles. Both major political parties seem bent...

It’s time to apply for student financial aid

If your child is due to graduate from high school in 2024 and is considering college or career/trade school, the re-designed Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA) should have been available since Dec. 31. To facilitate completing the form, apply for your Federal Student Aid...

How good are you at saying no?

Is it hard for you to say no? If it is, you’re not alone. Even the kindest among us experience moments when they said yes, when in retrospect they wished they had said no. Why are we so quick to say yes? “From an early age children are taught to be polite and forthcoming,”...