The great oral historian and author Studs Terkel captured the spirit of labor in his work. He committed his life’s work to documenting the experiences of everyday Americans getting up and going to work for a better life. An homage to work, his recordings are preserved in the Smithsonian Institute for posterity. Stories of adversity, working through … Continue reading Salute to Laborers
Escapism by William Klein
We all want to escape something. For some it’s the job; for others it’s school; still others it’s a relationship that troubles them; others it’s a nagging problem rooted in our malaise in life and others it’s responsibility. At the heart of each heartbeat of discontent is understanding waiting to take root and change us. … Continue reading Escapism by William Klein
Winning At All Costs by William Klein
Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport, recently pulled out of competitions choosing her mental well-being over Olympic gold. She is being praised for her choice and rightly so. A recent article in the New York Times opinion piece written by skiing world champion Zoe Ruhl noted that it was … Continue reading Winning At All Costs by William Klein
Coping With Trauma by William Klein
The act of birth itself is traumatic. We enter from a womb of comfort and security into a bold, daunting and dissonant, chaotic, hurried fluorescent lit world – bloodied and wet, sticky, being handed from one to another and relying on multiple sensibilities to hold a frantic awareness calmly, serenely with understanding and poignant culpability. … Continue reading Coping With Trauma by William Klein
Rehumanize Yourself by William Klein
The Police wrote a song titled “Rehumanize Yourself.” It was a song written about “people becoming disconnected from their humanity when placed in certain circumstances.” The song was inspired by a real incident. Lead singer and songwriter Sting heard about some skinheads kicking a man to death outside his house. “Policeman put on his uniform/Had … Continue reading Rehumanize Yourself by William Klein
Tilling The Soil Of Being by William Klein
There’s an old maxim, “The answer is in the question.” Confucius said, “The one who asks a question is a fool for a minute. The one who never asks a question is a fool for life.” Sometimes the soil of our being gets hard from spiritual dryness. We need to till the ground, pull the weeds of … Continue reading Tilling The Soil Of Being by William Klein
Eucharistic Condemnation by William Klein
The US Catholic Bishops’ decision to deny President Biden and other politicians the Eucharist based on their pro-choice policies is problematic. On one hand it’s important that they assert the Church’s position on abortion. On the other hand, denying a practicing Catholic this Holy Sacrament is troublesome, because it has often been said, “Silence is consent.” It … Continue reading Eucharistic Condemnation by William Klein
Tent Cities by William Klein
As I drove through the streets of LA on a recent visit, I noticed more makeshift housing on the hills and side of the road. I'd seen this on skid row, but it was never visible on the streets of LA. I couldn’t get over the number of tent cities. There are people literally living in … Continue reading Tent Cities by William Klein
Girard’s “Scapegoating” by William Klein
Blame is a wicked curse. It creates tensions that can lead to waves of uncertainty and fear which can cause policies that are sinful in nature and structures of sin in our institutions. These waves crash on the shores of our society and make their presence known, but people tend to accept the tide for … Continue reading Girard’s “Scapegoating” by William Klein
Rene Girard’s “Mimetic Desire” by William Klein
I’ve heard it said that “insanity is knowing you have to change but refusing to do anything about it.” I’ve been digging deep into the profound stories I’ve heard this year as a teacher. Children telling me stories of violence where loved ones have been impacted: A child told me how they were jarred into … Continue reading Rene Girard’s “Mimetic Desire” by William Klein
