Can we expect life, as we knew it, to resume after the pandemic? I don’t think so. Will things return to the way they were? No. Things will never get back to ‘normal’. The best we can hope for is something next to ‘normal’. But what does that look like? As a nation, we’ve spent the better part of the last four months doing our very best just to get through … [Read more...] about Next to Normal
Opinions
Strange Times
It has been so long since we last got together. So, wash your hands, pour a cocktail, maybe stop by Betty’s later but let’s chat, shall we? The world as we knew it has changed so much that one might not recognize it even though we so desperately want things to be the same. Like it used to be. Or do we really? Perhaps more importantly should we want to go back to a time … [Read more...] about Strange Times
Is Risky Behavior Worth It? Wear a MASK
Stress impacts everything in our lives. The holistic worldview encourages us to consider everything in our life as connected. Through those connections, there are bonds that sustain us throughout life and help to keep us grounded in logic and reality in times of trauma or transition. As we’ve recently discovered, the stress we have lived with since late March is here … [Read more...] about Is Risky Behavior Worth It? Wear a MASK
The Road Ahead Part Two
It has been almost 100 days since our wonderful state was first placed under a “stay at home” order. Not much has changed in the 97 days that have led up to this article. Things are almost exactly the same. My routine is pretty simple. I’ll wake up, usually sometime in the late morning. I’ll see my clients via teletherapy, go for a run in the wonderful New Orleans … [Read more...] about The Road Ahead Part Two
12 Inches That Changed My Life
And just like that the gauntlet had been tossed, without cause, provocation, or ceremony. In the blink of an eye, I had been challenged. In less than an instant, I declined. I reflexively steer clear of the mass-produced trend du jour. A policy that has served me well, as I see videos of those poor bastards roped into the ice water challenge, cinnamon challenge, or … [Read more...] about 12 Inches That Changed My Life
Letter to the Editor from Scott Ellis
Dear Editor: In the deliberations concerning the renaming of Gov. Nichols (the street where I lived in Quarter), I suggest that the street be named Shaw, or Clay Shaw street. Mr. Shaw was a pioneering preservationist and renovator in the Quarter, and a bronze plaque on the present Gov. Nichols honors his efforts. Not only would this honor reflect his efforts in the Quarter, … [Read more...] about Letter to the Editor from Scott Ellis
The Road Ahead
The year 2020 seems like some sort of weird dream. I remember standing in a bar counting down the seconds until the ball dropped at midnight to signal what I thought would be an amazing year moving forward. Boy was I wrong! I should’ve spent those last seconds of 2019 stocking up on toilet paper or buying hand sanitizer or writing my political debates in preparation for endless … [Read more...] about The Road Ahead
Beyond the Barricades
As a contributing writer to a contemporary publication, I would feel a bit amoral if I didn’t take this opportunity and use this platform to speak on what has become the largest civil rights movement in history. A movement inspired and enraged by the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, killed by police while in their custody. As the COVID-19 … [Read more...] about Beyond the Barricades
Letter to the Editor (June 16, 2020) from Kenneth Mitchell
Editor’s Note: The following letter was sent to Jim Meadows of SAGE New Orleans. It is reprinted here with his and the author’s permission. When asked if I’m ok, I usually give the short answer. “I’m ok,” I typically reply. Here is the long answer. For me, what is troubling is not knowing whom to trust. Pre-Trump, I thought white attitudes were limited to benign … [Read more...] about Letter to the Editor (June 16, 2020) from Kenneth Mitchell
The Normal Heart: AIDS/COVID/Resilience
On May 27, the world lost a giant in the history of the LGBTQ community, Larry Kramer, noted author, playwright, producer, public health advocate, LGBTQ rights activist, and so much more. Those who do not know his story will hopefully learn about him through the multitude of articles and documentaries that will certainly show up in the near future. In order to gain a sense of … [Read more...] about The Normal Heart: AIDS/COVID/Resilience
