Many years ago, while trying to decide where to go on vacation, I randomly suggested to my wife that we take out our Rand McNally map book and drive to wherever the staple was that bound the pages together. Although a bit unconventional, she agreed.

When I opened the page that displayed the U.S. map, I peered closely to see what was underneath the staple. It was Little Rock, Arkansas. We promptly nicknamed the vacation "The Great Staple Tour," and began to plan our visit, including a stop at Central High School.

In 1957, on September 24, nine students crossed the threshold of CHS, flanked by members of the National Guard. Integration had become the law of the land but those nine students shouldered the burden.

"What is happening at Little Rock transcends segregation and integration, this is a question of right against wrong." - Daisy Bates

The word "forgive" is worth 14 points in the game of Scrabble, 16 points if playing Words with Friends.

Somehow that just doesn't seem enough, does it?

“People have to forgive. We don't have to like them, we don't have to be friends with them, we don't have to send them hearts in text messages, but we have to forgive them, to overlook, to forget. Because if we don't we are tying rocks to our own feet, too much for our wings to carry.”

― C. JoyBell C.

I was a reluctant convert. But my friends insisted I keep watching. And now I see why.

In honor of this week's Emmy awards, a "byte" of admiration from one devoted father to his beloved son. The first father-son team to ever win television's top prize.

“I also want to thank once again this young man who took our fish-out-of-water story about the Rose family and transformed it into a celebration of inclusivity, a castigation of homophobia, and a declaration of the power of love." - Eugene Levy

A few years ago, when I was visiting D.C., I got up crazy early so I would be in the front of the line of visitors potentially allowed to sit in on a session of the Supreme Court. My punctuality paid off and I was one of a handful of folks seated in the back row of the court.

As the clock struck 10:00 a.m. the justices began to emerge from behind the curtin.

Elena. Sonia. And then finally my hero ..... Ruth. I remember thinking, I am breathing the same air as Ruth Bader Ginsburg! I don't think I took another breath for the rest of the hour.

Ruth was a warrior. Oh how I will miss her.

"Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped make my dreams come true." - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

From the person I consider to be the most talented photographer of my generation.

For my fellow introverts, this one's for you......

“As a young person, and I know it’s hard to believe that I was shy, but you could take your camera, and it would take you to places: it was like having a friend, like having someone to go out with and look at the world. I would do things with a camera I wouldn’t do normally if I was just by myself.”

— Annie Leibovitz

A Hall of Fame pitcher (inducted at age 36, the youngest ever) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Koufax was known for both his wizardry on the mound and his devotion to his faith. He famously sat out game one of a World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. Sandy "walked the walk" as they say.

His quote (below) reminds us that sometimes the answer we're looking for is counterintuitive. Keep your eyes open to discovering the unexpected solution.........

"I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it." - Sandy Koufax

The lyrics to my favorite song by two of my favorite troubadours.

"Time it was and what a time it was. It was a time, a time of innocence, a time of consequences. Long ago, it must be. I have a photograph. Preserve your memories. They're all that's left you."

- Simon and Garfunkel

I first came to know Roxanne Gay after reading her 2017 memoir Hunger. Even the most delicate and complicated topics can be dissected and rewoven by a talented writer......

“Salvation is certainly among the reasons I read. Reading and writing have always pulled me out of the darkest experiences in my life. Stories have given me a place in which to lose myself. They have allowed me to remember. They have allowed me to forget. They have allowed me to imagine different endings and better possible worlds.”– Roxane Gay

When we were kids, our nickname for my mother was Mario Andretti (not for her spaghetti-making prowess but for her driving proclivities).

Today's quote is inspired by her "pedal to the metal" attitude about work and about life.

"If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti

Born in Newark and educated at Columbia, Allen Ginsberg spent much of his life rambling the streets of NYC's East Village.

His "Beat Generation," wrote eloquently, piercingly, and critically of the culture of their day. But in the end, he was always open to the notion that his was not the only opinion.

“Our heads are round so thought can change direction.” - Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997)

At the end of this week, those in the Jewish community will celebrate Rosh Hashanah. As a preamble, this week will feature the words of Jewish scholars, musicians, poets, etc.

Our leadoff batter is Nobel Peace Prize winner (1986), Elie Wiesel.

"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

8:46 a.m. EST. The moment the first plane struck the North Tower in New York City.

I remember that day quite distinctly. A beautiful fall day in Boston, the sky a blinding blue. And then......

"My generation is now the door to memory. That is why I am remembering." - Joy Harjo

This morning's quote is a reminder you have far more agency and power than you might imagine.

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."