ArcaMax

It didn't ring a bell when he rolled down his window, but it did jingle with a light thump as I eased the car forward in traffic. There went one of my car antlers, not getting run over by a reindeer but instead by the tires of other commuters behind me.

This year, it felt like the candy cane to top a lackluster holiday prep season. I'm still ...Read more

At about 4:30 in the afternoon, I started to close the first windows. There was finally a chill in the air that hadn't been there all day. I had earlier stripped off my oversized sweater stolen from my husband as I ran in and out to the trash can. It was a beautiful day that turned overcast, with rays of sun piercing the yellowed leaves that ...Read more

Since I was elected, a very official letter has repeatedly landed on my desk, announcing the upcoming naturalization ceremony and requesting my company. I had put it on my calendar twice; RSVP'd and had to decline once; but this time, I held firm that I would make it at least once this year. I needed to see it again, especially now.

The last ...Read more

I was inhaling a chicken sandwich and watching TikToks at the truck stop before a meeting. My car was off and the windows rolled down a crack. A lady in a car pulled up next to me. She repeatedly shouted hello as I fumbled to restart my car to roll down the window.

She was older and smiling, holding a square sandwich with one hand and the other...Read more

As I likened the election to an impending airplane crash, the irony was not lost on me that I spent the day after the election on a two-seater prop plane at our local airport with a state senator.

One of the more dicey options for interaction at City Hall, at least how ours is constructed, is just going to the bathroom. One option is the hidden...Read more

My daughter's swim team meets at a local university. Another mother and I take walks around the campus during that hour, and last week, as we strode past some college students well acquainted with the Hot Topic fashion line, we heard, "I'm really liking Jill Stein."

There was slight whiplash as we looked at each other, and my friend covered her...Read more

We all want consistency, clarity, and conviction from leaders and movements we support. But in practice, chasing ideological purity can become a trap, leaving no room for the ambiguity, complexity, and compassion a functioning society needs. Ideological purity assumes people and ideas are simple, that we can shove ourselves into neat boxes of "...Read more

There's a saying you've probably heard a thousand times: "Don't go for the low-hanging fruit." You should avoid the easy, obvious choice and reach higher, stretch yourself, and go for the real challenge. But let's pause for a moment: Why, exactly, are we dismissing this perfectly good, reachable fruit? Have we learned nothing from centuries of ...Read more

Creating effective advocacy for activism is about more than passion -- it's about strategy, collaboration, and persistence. In a world facing issues from climate change to racial injustice, successful activism requires both a clear vision and a plan to turn that vision into reality.

Effective advocacy begins with a deep understanding of the ...Read more

Over the years, writing in various capacities from public relations to this column, people have referred to me as a journalist, but I'd reply that while I was a trained journalist -- that is, that's what I had one of my undergrad degrees in -- I would defer to those active in the precarious industry. Most of the people I've respected the most ...Read more

Waiting rooms have become a wasteland. I travel it with the same promised oasis in my hand, catching up on emails or scrolling through social media. However, I still like to peek up and look around to see who else might have drunk enough from the fountains that allow us to forget about the desert around us.

As someone who lives in an actual ...Read more