The company that helped us move was named Chaos2Calm, and in the flurry of boxes and transitions, they were exactly what their name promised. But the name stayed with me long after the last box was unpacked. It resurfaced the other day during a walk, just as I reached a corner of the park where…
Without Moorings — Reflections on Place and Presence
I recently came across a review of Why Old Places Matter: How Historic Places Affect Our Identity and Well-Being by Thompson Mayes. My wife, Suzy, has always been a staunch believer in the preservation of historic buildings—the way a city’s soul is often etched into its oldest stone and timber—so I’ll likely get the book…
Tinker
Chris Hadfield, looking down at the curve of the Earth from the silent isolation of orbit, once observed: “It’s your life to tinker with, learn from, live and love.” It is a marvelous word—tinker. The more I dwell on it, the more I suspect that “tinkering” is the most honest description of what we actually…
The Unseen Anchor
This spring, Mother Nature is playing her games. One day, it is one hundred degrees in Texas and the next day, snow is forecast. And yet, there are days in North Carolina that the weather is absolutely perfect. Wherever you live, at some point the flowers will start to bloom, and in the South, the…
A Call For Peace And Decency
I sat down to write today’s Pew with an apology on my lips—a small request for your patience as I wandered “off-subject.” But then, I remembered the words of Benjamin Disraeli: “Never apologize for showing feeling, my friend. Remember that when you do so, you apologize for truth.” In the spirit of that truth, I…