Part IV   More history, and contrition   In further readings about my Allen background, which were available partly because we had a distant relationship by marriage to Andrew Jackson, the notorious racist, and so showed up now and then in history records, I was able to learn more about the Allen’s and their relationship to the slaves who lived [...]

Part III of V   Confessions   When I was in high school in the mid-1960’s, I had prejudices. (I may still have some, but nothing like the lack of awareness I had then.) I was brought up that way. I didn’t see a black person until I was five or six, but later had black friends whom I loved [...]

Part II of V   Bias   I’m not fond of rap music. But that’s a cultural bias; it just doesn’t appeal to me. I like its aspect of poetry, and that sometimes some of the spoken songs are humorous or beautiful or plaintive. Those things, I appreciate. It’s an important cultural mode and I respect it. I assume there [...]

Part I of V   Intro   I’ve decided to wade into the intimidating if not frightening waters of speaking out on prejudice and how it applies to my own life. I am not under the illusion that my own experiences of discrimination have been anything like those of people of color (POC). The police violence that has at long [...]

My husband is a scientist, and has determined that the novel coronavirus which leads to Covid-19 is primarily and most contagiously spread via aerosol, which means it rides like a gas on people’s breath. We are wearing masks outside our home, even in the outdoors if people are within six feet of us. We have had a couple of workers [...]

I was sitting in my living room with a neighbor the other morning, discussing a project; we were charged with recommending a redesign on a planted strip that runs through our neighborhood. We had both volunteered to be on The Median Committee. We agreed that we wanted to be active in the project, but didn’t have as much time for [...]

Part III (of Three Installments) I bought a smaller scooter called a TravelScoot three years ago. It’s like a tricycle with a very small motor, and runs on a lithium battery which weighs about 5 1/2 lbs. I have the second smallest model; there is one for people who are less than four feet tall, and a larger model for [...]

Part 2 of 3   I sometimes rent a large, heavy scooter when we travel, particularly at a venue like Yosemite, where the trails, even if paved, can be either rough, uneven, gravelly or have soft dirt. These scooters usually have four wheels so are quite stable, and like the Go-Go, they automatically stop and brake on an incline when [...]