Naaman and pride

He would not grab the life ring offered him by a chum-soaked fisherman in a bunged up scow; if he must be rescued, he would wait to be helped aboard the lush, teak deck of a Scandinavian sloop, piloted by a sun-drenched blonde named Astrid. After all, even a drowning man has his pride. So he turned ... Continue reading

Misfits and champions

A revaluation in the market for baseball players resonates in the lives of young men. It was as if a signal had radiated out from the Oakland A's draft room and sought, laserlike, those guys who for their whole career had seen their accomplishments understood with an asterisk. The footnote at the ... Continue reading

Dignity

I stand out on the streets of Mexico. I'm tall; they're short. I'm light-skinned; they're dark. I speak with a strange accent — they see lots of German tourists in this little Zapotec town, so most people figure I must be German.Jawohl!When I walk down the street and see someone approaching, ... Continue reading

Bono addresses the National Prayer Breakfast

U2's Bono was the keynote speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast yesterday in Washington, D.C. Here are a few of his comments: Look, whatever thoughts you have about God, who He is or if He exists, most will agree that if there is a God, He has a special place for the poor. In fact, the poor are ... Continue reading

One nation, indivisible

I grew up in the south at a time when there were only two races: colored and white. I am white.I remember signs on drinking fountains, restroom doors, shops and restaurants that read "White Only." I remember the shouted epithets and whispered insults. I remember the fear and loathing that ... Continue reading