Readings To Consider - 11/4/20
Books and Articles worth a Review…
The Erosion of Trust in American Governing Institutions – It comes up in virtually every discussion when the conversation turns to – or actually starts with – current events. Do we trust the government? David Matthews, the former Secretary of DHHS in the Ford Administration and the current President of the Kettering Foundation recently released With The People which puts forward ideas on how we can bring back the trust factor in governing the United States of America. I encourage everyone to read it. It’s filled with good ideas and offers a perspective we need to be debating in America today! PS – it’s only 48 pages long 😊
The American Trifecta – It occurred to me several weeks ago that while the pandemic is front and center as one of the most horrific experiences we’ve faced in the United States, there are other “pandemics” sweeping across the American and international horizon. While we need to continue our focus on the viral or medical pandemic, we should not forget that looming in the background there are a couple of other – equally important pandemics – that require our attention. You can find the article here. If you have any thoughts following your read, let me know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Stay well…Be safe…
The Fickenscher Experience – It’s been a tough couple of weeks. First, Suzanne’s Dad passed away at 90 after a short illness at his extended care home. He was a brilliant theologian and leading light on the Apostle Paul. He was my “go to” guy when I was trying to figure out how put current events into context of the longer term. Then, this past week we added yet another Fickenscher to the clan weighing in at 8#, 8oz and named Aurora Rex Fickenscher (Arfie for short 😊). Congrats to my nephew, Robey, and his wife Julie on this addition to their family. Then, very sadly, my Mom passed away just a couple of days ago. She has suffered from Alzheimer’s for some time but the last several years were the worst. I’ve been around disease, trauma, and sickness ever since I started working at a nursing home at the age of 16. But the worst disease and most traumatic for the individual and the family is Alzheimer’s. I wrote a piece about what parents mean that you may want to consider reading entitled: On Losing a Parent for the Last Time. Thoughts appreciated.
