Clare Consultation, LLCJohn McCain – “But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement”
I did not vote for John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. But because of his candidacy, I got in my car early in 2009, and began what would be a 10,000 mile circumnavigation of the lower 48. I did this because, by the time Americans got to the polls in November 2008, no matter who we voted for, everyone was using the word change. So, because of McCain and Obama, because… Read More
The Presence of Absence
Yesterday, I learned of a word. A Portuguese word. Saudade. Saudade reveals its meaning in context. Something like the English words longing, yearning, and love when it’s about a quality of ineffable missing. Like many words in other languages, there’s really not a direct translation. This is because the word holds more than its parts. A noun that’s bigger than we English speakers think nouns can be. Bigger than person, place, thing – but holding all… Read More
Bring Your Best or Forfeit Your Country
In the January/February 1996 Harvard Business Review, 21 years ago, economist Paul Krugman ran out the ways countries are not businesses. The ways successful business people cannot automatically apply their skill sets to steering a nation and its economy. At the same time, he admitted that economists could not, without considerable extra expertise, run successful businesses. Krugman writes, “Let me begin with two examples of economic issues that I have found business executives… Read More
Talking Sex(ism)
People are talking. This matters. We suspect our country and its people are better than this. But we’re not sure. Question. Does a Presidential candidate’s personal history of repeated demeaning public comments about women – with regard to appearance or sexual utility – have civic relevance? Does a Presidential candidate’s history of physical sexual harassment of women have civic relevance? Does a Presidential candidate’s dismissal of either or both kinds of behavior… Read More
Missing the People – A Protest in Support of my Trans- Friends
I am not a trans- person. I am a heterosexually identified person who presents to the world as a woman. My birth certificate inticates that I am female. Wierdly it also qualifies my infant form as “leg,” which I have come to understand as designation required by Jefferson County TX to indicate legitimacy status. Another thing I am is a person who has friends. All along the way these friendships have proven… Read More
in memorium: Nohemi Gonzalez – 10.19.1992/11.13.2015
Nohemi Gonzalez in her words: I am Mexican American and I also happen to be first generation born in the United States. I grew up in Whittier [California] and had a very hard working mother that raised me to be extremely independent. If I had to describe myself in a few words I would say I am very high spirited, clean, orderly and self driven. Nohemi was a student of design, studying… Read More
Listening for a Change
Here’s a way things are working in the U.S. On January 21, 2009 I got in my car and drove south – then east – then north – then west. A rough rectangle of American highways. 10,000+ miles. I drove to listen to what people had to say. My question: What do you mean when you say the word change? In the process, my purpose led to my own enormous gain. That… Read More
Report from Afghanistan
Guest Blog: Zaher Wahab, Ph,D, zwahab@auaf.edu.af NOTE: This just in from my mentor, friend and colleague, Zaher Wahab. This is Zaher’s second guest blog to this site. He continues as the director of the graduate program in Education with American University of Afghanistan (AUAF). While still a professor in the graduate school at Lewis & Clark College, Zaher gave years of service to the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan. That led him, upon retirement,… Read More