What are we going to reflect

As an opinion writer as well as a person with a genuine curiosity about what motivates people to do the things they do, I sometimes have to reflect upon what motivates me to do what I do, and often I don’t like what I see any more than anyone else.

Faces & Places

BY MEG GRUBEN “Autumn was her happiest season. There was an expectancy about its sounds and shapes: the distant thunk pomp of leather and young bodies on the practice field near her house made her think of bands and cold Coca-Colas, parched peanuts, and the sight of people's breath in the air.

A one man movie show

I met Mike Robertson at a restored theater in Spur, where I did my new one-man show OUTRAGEOUS TEXAS WOMEN OF CHARACTER. Before the show started I saw this man in the audience who looked a lot like Santa Claus.

People, Place, and The Economy

“An economy genuinely local and neighborly offers to localities a measure of security that they cannot derive from a national or global economy controlled by people who, by principle, have no local commitment.” —Wendell Berry Last week, I set forth the importance and value of knowing a place.

Times of trouble remind us Texas open government laws are here for everyone

Across the state, Texans are keeping a closer eye on their government. They’re asking questions and demanding information. There’s a renewed awareness of our transparency laws.

Knowing a Place

“To know fully even one field or one land is a lifetime’s experience. In the world of poetic experience it is depth that counts, not width.

2 Cents Worth

CAROL GREENWAYHOLLAND Did you know this is Fire Prevention week, well if you were married to a former fireman, you got told of it this morning.

Art from wine bottle corks

Cheryl LaBerge of Harlingen plays piano, practices Yoga, does family scrapbooks for generations of her family and is involved in all sorts of civic activities. She has saved wine bottle corks for years and finds them fascinating. “They’re interesting,” she says.

Check Your Mirrors

“We turn not older with years but newer every day.” Sometimes I feel like slapping Emily Dickinson. While the eccentric poet remains one of my favorite literary figures, Dickinson’s self-awareness can be nauseating. I say this with love.

Faces & Places

“Laugh, even when you feel too sick or too worn out or tired. Smile, even when you're trying not to cry and the tears are blurring your vision. Sing, even when people stare at you and tell you your voice is crappy. Trust, even when your heart begs you not to.