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By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

Two weeks ago in this space, I wrote about the importance of cultural humility. At that time, I knew that my next column would focus on its twinned counterpart, personal humility. Today, I’ll focus on why maintaining an understanding of ourselves in...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

“The greatest friend of truth is Time, her greatest enemy is Prejudice, and her constant companion is Humility.” — Charles Caleb ColtonHeadline news everywhere screams of key contemporary themes involving “ego,” “self,” “it’s all about me,”… not to...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

What brings a community — any community, our community — together? In times of upheaval, conflict, and transition, there are only truly a few things that matter in the evolution and sustenance of a community: honesty, integrity, trust, respect, and...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

“Do something that scares you every day.” — Eleanor RooseveltOne of the key motivators in human existence — and part of the human condition — is fear. Who of us has never felt or faced fear? It is as universal an emotion as any other. Fear as an...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

For me, the previously unthinkable has now happened. Last September, I published a column in this space entitled “On letting go and saying goodbye” regarding what seemed at that time to be the imminent passing of my dearly belov’d feline friend of...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

We hear the term “progress” all the time, in a variety of contexts. Whether we are discussing progressive (or liberal) viewpoints on politics and living, or making progress on projects of any sort, or progressing to the next level of whatever — it...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

“Winning is not everything, it’s the only thing.” — Vince Lombardi (1955)We live in an increasingly ultra-competitive world. In the U.S., our children are trained from an early age not only about determination, discipline and persistence, but also...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stride Toward Freedom (1958)The wars that rage around the world are not only to be found elsewhere, beyond our soil and nation. Yes,...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

The New Year is finally here, so what can we hope for and look forward to in the year ahead?“New Year’s Day” is a (re)start, a “tabula rasa/clean slate,” an opportunity to think and do anew.With whatever metrics one uses, 2023 (last year), was an...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

This week marks my fifth year as a volunteer chef at Stone Soup Café. This anniversary enables me to reflect on all the good the café has done for Greenfield and beyond, and the staff, board, volunteers, and friends who circulate through this...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

It’s no easy feat to create and sustain safety in our contemporary and crazy world. Governments and communities worldwide have tried and failed to do so. People everywhere are feeling increasingly unsafe, scared, and scarred by both the threats and...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

At any time of the year, being appreciative of oneself and others is a critical component of our humanity. For some of us in the U.S. and abroad, this Thursday will mark what is commonly known as “Thanksgiving,” — family-and-friends ritual whereby...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

Tuesday’s election results will bring forth strong feelings, no matter the outcome. As has occurred more frequently in the recent past, there will be recriminations, threats, challenges, and a lot of activated emotions coming forward from all...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

Local, statewide, and national elections will be held two weeks from tomorrow — an annual ritual and rite of passage wherein most adult citizens of the U.S. have the unique opportunity to use their voices and the power of the ballot box as a tool and...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

The pace of our lives and the ways of this world continue to speed up, unabated. Driving around town today, I observed at least eight yard signs asking for us to “Please Slow Down.” Why are so many of us rushing about to get things done, checking off...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

Change, no matter how it comes about in our lives, is never easy. Not one day goes by without something (often significant) changing. Change is inevitable; it is the way of the world, and it is up to each one of us to adapt to it. When something or...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

Today, I am sharing with all pet caregivers and caretakers, and those who love and cherish animals and pets. I know you will understand what I am going through. I imagine it’s a universal lived human experience I am having, and there’s little to...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

“It is obvious today that America has defaulted on [its] promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

The act and art of listening is something very few of us were actually taught, but, somehow, we’ve managed to learn, at least on a basic level. A fundamental, intrinsic, and universal human behavior and activity, listening is what enables homo sapiens...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

“Libraries are … a place to gather that focuses its role on the social infrastructure which enables libraries to help fight inequality, polarization, and the decline of civic life…” — Eric Klinenberg, Palaces for the People (2018)“Libraries are … a...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

It’s right up there in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: the universal human want and need for personal and collective safety. Safety, in all its faces and facets, continues to be an elusive aspect of life for too many of us. Just what is “safety,” and how...