Persistence

It's 6 a.m. on a Thursday morning in October. I slept fitfully and listened to dozens of songs on YouTube.

Once Aidan reached the agreement with Pacific Heights (the name of this facility) my anger dissipated and I returned to my natural friendly disposition.

I haven't told people at KQED about the stroke or Parkinson's yet. Something feels like focusing on my health challenges is somehow inappropriate. I kept all of my relationships there strictly professional, although personal details naturally seeped into our conversations.

The truth is I see people and love them for their particular details, including what the larger world often sees as flaws. That includes me. I love myself, even my flaws.

***

At times I feel sorry for Trump and especially the voters who support him. Some of his foreign aid policies, especially regarding China, have merit.

The problem he can't seem to grasp is our economy is so globalized that no country, including the U.S.., can afford to go it alone. Supply chains are optimized according to cost efficiencies. What seems like a low wage in a developing country to us is sufficient there to pull a family out of poverty.

There technically are no countries anymore, except in destructive ways. Parades and marches are pointless. It is one world, like it or not.

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