Category: Voices from the Streets
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Friendship
When it comes to true friendship between two people, many of us don’t know what that means. When we call someone our BFF, what does that really mean? Is it just something people say when they hang out once in a while? Or is it something else entirely? Let me tell you what I think:…
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A FEELING OF SORROW
On a bitterly cold Wednesday morning a couple of weeks ago I walked slowly up Beacon Hill towards the Church on The Hill. I was walking slow not because of my COPD, but because it was particular day that I have come to dread. It was December 21, National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. Services were…
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The People will Stand up to Donald Trump
“The president-elect is the most dangerous man in America. The question now, for which there is as yet no answer, is: Who will stand up to him?” — Michael A. Cohen, Boston Globe columnist, December 8, 2016 The answer is, we the people will. Not Cohen’s list of politicians and leaders who have been benefiting…
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Femme Fatale
She walked through the door with one of my regular customers, and all eyes locked on to her. She knew it too. As she moved I watched her walk, tall, beautiful, swaying slowly. Her eyes dropped into mine. Little did I know, Heather was going to play a major part in my life, and then…
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Being Grateful
Thanksgiving was never on my list of favorite holidays long before the real stories of the Pilgrims and Native Americans emerged. When I was young, growing up in New York, I never experienced those Hallmark moments of the family gathered around a large table with an overly stuffed turkey and all the fixings. No one…
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The Legalization of Marijuana
The legalization of marijuana has brought back many memories. Let me tell you a story about my life in 1967. I was struggling with heroin addiction and had finally sworn off the stuff. But back then, being clean meant just not shooting heroin. Marijuana was a nothing drug. Everyone smoked. When I kicked heroin, my…
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“Do Not Resist”—A Movie About the Militarization of Our Police Force
As I write this, the outcome of the election is unknown. Many people will be happy; many people will be upset. The fact that our country could be so divided has brought about a police force that is now being gifted with weapons of war that are no longer being used in the Middle East.…
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WE’RE GONNA BE ALL RIGHT
This morning we all woke up to what seemed like a nightmare. Donald Trump, the little bully (and by “bully” I’m being nice) who actually got elected despite his racist ramblings, his belittlement of women, etc., has, against all odds, become President of the United States. Sometimes the bully wins, and when it happens we…
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Living With Scars
Sometimes I look at the life I have today and say, wow, I’m truly blessed to have it all: family, friends, etc. You couldn’t ask for much more. I’d sometimes even get to the point where I would romanticize my whole life, especially my past. But there’s nothing romantic or funny about parts of my…
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The Most Frightening Election of My Life
When George W. Bush was running for president, it was scary. I couldn’t think of a worse outcome than having George W. become president. Yet, I find it even harder to believe that a man as unstable, dishonest and dangerous as Donald Trump is actually being considered to lead our nation at this crucial time.…