Music as time machine: 1979
At my go-to karaoke place in Boston, the main stage DJ is fond of playing clips of late 70s pop music in between numbers selected for performance. When things are a bit slow, he’ll even get up and...
View ArticlePandemic Chronicles #3: Carless in Boston
Model and make of the only car I’ve ever owned It has taken a global pandemic to get me to a point where I feel limited by not owning a car. Here in Boston, we’re experiencing a predicted surge in...
View ArticlePandemic Chronicles #7: Adventures lost
Our study abroad group at Coventry Cathedral, England, 1981 A couple of weeks ago, our study abroad group from college met for a Zoom-enabled happy hour/mini-reunion. It was the latest gathering of our...
View ArticlePandemic Chronicles #16: “May you live in interesting times” (Umm, on second...
My school during more celebratory times, including being on the parade route for championship celebrations Many years ago, when I was easily inspired by catchy phrases, the expression “may you live in...
View ArticlePandemic Chronicles #20: Witnessing “The Troubles” 40 years ago
Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1981 (photo: DY) With vaccinations on the increase and safer travel becoming a realistic possibility during the months to come, memories of past sojourns have become...
View ArticlePandemic Chronicles #21: Migrating
Have you ever moved to another part of your city, state/province, or country? Have you ever relocated to another nation? Why did you do it, and how did you get there? NPR’s TED Radio Hour had me...
View ArticlePandemic Chronicles #25: Monet, London fog, and memory at the Museum of Fine...
Monet and Boston exhibit, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (photo: DY) A greater appreciation for the cultural amenities of my home town of Boston and its surroundings has been an unintended but welcomed...
View ArticlePandemic Chronicles #26: Old postcards as time travel experiences
The pandemic has prompted me to revive a boyhood hobby of stamp collecting, as I’ve shared in my new blog on lifelong learning and adult education (here and here). It has been an enjoyable and...
View ArticleForty summers ago, a first-ever trip to NYC
Forty summers ago around this time, I was packing a small suitcase in preparation for a first-ever trip to New York City. This was to be a reconnaissance mission of sorts, an initial exploration of...
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