Freedom “from” versus “to”

JC/ July 9, 2025/ biography

Growing up with a modicum of privilege in the United States during the end of the 20th century we dreamed of the things we could do with our freedom, “to.” We could leave home to make riches and buy big cars, big houses, big boats, big vacations. We had big dreams for things. In those times we took our freedoms,

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Fear and the biology of our human brains

JC/ July 1, 2025/ science

What causes some to be more fearful than others? When two people are exposed to the same stimulus under the same conditions why does one person respond with panic, isolation, and defensiveness? While the other responds with calm, curiosity, and resolve? Research indicates that more grey matter in the anterior cingulate cortex equals more liberal, less fearful responses. Larger right

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Getting to Work in the Community

JC/ June 24, 2025/ biography

This weekend I did a job I had never done before. I’m not talking about a job on the other side of the shop, or org chart. I’m talking about completely new and different work to me. I went to work with people whom I had never before worked, materials I had never handled, technologies I had never seen, and

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Fear, Loneliness, and Your Neighborhood

JC/ June 17, 2025/ biography

I have cut drivers off who are just trying to merge into traffic. I have walked into buildings and not held the door open for the person behind me.  I have emptied my shopping cart and not put the cart in the “return cart here” coral. I have examined apples in the produce section without being welcoming to the others

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