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"Choosing"
Wow. I knew I had gotten behind in my giving but didn’t realize how much until I did the math just now. I’ve written 86 posts so far this year, and I know at least a couple of them were unrelated to a gift. That means it’s going to be a very busy month of […]
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I told my story to about 100 Kaiser Permanente retirees today; it was lovely. They were a very attentive and thoughtful audience and had lots of great questions. Am I ever afraid? How do I choose? How do I start talking to a stranger? What will I do after 100 hundreds in 2011? Why a […]
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We’ve had a beautiful few days in Dublin; the nicest weather all year. It’s made for some amazing crowds on the street; lots of musicians and even a piano in the middle of the street! I definitely wanted to give some money away today but felt a bit apprehensive about it. People here are generally […]
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You know what’s strange? Cheryl and Paul’s car is still at the tire shop. I was very surprised, and a little worried, to see it today when I drove by. I was on my way to a coffee shop to do some serious writing. I hear that’s where writers do their best work. Someone asked […]
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Whenever it hasn’t rained for a few days, we Portlanders get an irresistible urge to clean up our cars. There was quite a crowd at Washman this afternoon. I knew I would have to wait a bit, so I walked around making small talk. There was a woman in a leopard-print blouse drinking an iced […]
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I was invited to be the guest speaker at today’s annual luncheon for Northwest Portland Ministries. It was quite an honor; this is a wonderful interfaith organization that provides food, transportation and other volunteer services to people in NW Portland. It was my first time speaking publicly about this journey, and I couldn’t have imagined a […]
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The other day, a mere couple of blocks from home in my affluent neighborhood, I was shocked to see two people curled up in a doorway. So covered in blankets and rags, they almost escaped my notice. Every week there are new people trolling the streets, their shopping carts piled high with recyclables. What kind of […]
Continue Reading →I’m definitely smiling more at strangers since the month started. Something about giving away money puts me in a really good mood. This morning I was about to get off the bus when a man in a wheelchair got my attention. “Ma’am?” he said from behind me. I turned around. “I just want to say […]
Continue Reading →I briefly considered giving $10 each to ten people today, in honor of 10.10.10, but decided to stick to my plan. So far, no one has balked at the $100 bill. I’ll need to replenish my supply this week. The President’s Day sales inspired me to consider a major purchase – a couple of new […]
Continue Reading →It was a pretty dreary day here in Portland, with lots of drizzle. Bank robbery, teen suicides and gang violence dominate the news. As I came out of our neighborhood grocery store this evening, a handsome young African American man in a football jersey from our local high school quietly asked for my attention. He […]
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