By NANCY PATRICK With only two human genders, one would think differentiating between them would be simple. To the contrary, defining the male and female sexes in modern times has become quite difficult. It has grown into fodder for political, moral, ethical, biological, and religious debates. During this March of 2022, I am especially aware of the unique and complex

By NANCY PATRICK I grew up in an era when people talked about shame and understood it. Today’s permissive culture tends to excuse bad behavior in an effort to avoid appearing prejudiced or judgmental. Although past generations may have taken too severe an approach to shaming people guilty of committing social taboos, modern societies seem to have gone overboard in

By NANCY PATRICK Have you ever had to eat your words? I certainly have. I learned pretty early in parenting that I should avoid saying, “My kid would never do that.” Mastery of that lesson takes time and discipline, but it helps parents avoid future embarrassment.  I don’t think I said I would “never” regarding very many other issues, but

By NANCY PATRICK Do you remember reading George Orwell’s novel 1984 or Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World?  When I first read them in 1968, the predictions of future society seemed farfetched; however, much later as I taught literature students through three and a half decades, I realized that many of the predictions had actually happened or would soon manifest themselves.

By NANCY PATRICK Most people consider me a nice person. Lately, I’ve wondered if that description still aptly applies to me because I certainly don’t always have nice thoughts.  Could I blame it on the social pressures with COVID during the past two years or my advancing age producing less patience than I used to have? For whatever reason, I

By NANCY PATRICK As we near the end of 2021 and begin the new year of 2022, we have a time for reflection—reflection on what has happened and what may happen in the future. I struggle to discern the difference between importance and irrelevance. I sometimes get busy or distracted and become bogged down in peripheral things. The older I

By NANCY PATRICK Holidays are here again. ‘Tis the season for happiness and joy. Beautiful Christmas lights adorn houses as lighted Christmas trees sparkle from living room windows. Christmas music provides atmosphere in all the stores as shoppers look for the perfect gifts for their loved ones. With so much joy and excitement around, why do some of us fail

By NANCY PATRICK As a baby boomer, I’ve enjoyed this label that has always reminded me of the end of WWII. Although my generation actually includes people born between 1946 and 1964, I generally think of my generation as the kids of the 1950s. The 1950s exudes an image of innocence, family values, and spiritual commitment. Many of the young

By NANCY PATRICK America prides itself on freedom. I can do whatever I want, and no one can tell me what to do! I’ve heard that more than ever since the world entered the COVID pandemic. This critical time in history has provided my first experience with a worldwide issue that has occurred simultaneously around the globe. As I watched