HeyJaredShowing Up
My interests are diverse: history, politics, current events, music, life experiences. I write about things that interest me, things I know about... often reflecting my (primarily) rural perspective.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 12
- Latest publication
- Sep 29, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 21, 2026
Latest issues
“We Always Have Hope!” (opens the original)
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“Of course, my friend! We always have hope!” (a friend, anticipating what I’ll say in my assessment of our times)*****Reacting to my last column, a dear friend emails: “(My spouse) has been feeling a little bit of the doom and gloom of the world. Do you think times are worse off now? Is the country in a downward spiral? Would love to get your insight in how the country / world / humanity is doing in relation to your years of experience. Is the country better now than when you were 20? Do we have
Commentary on Challenging Times (opens the original)
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Everyone knows it’s hard to stay on top of current events in our fast-paced world. It’s an even greater challenge when we’re traveling, as Paula and I have been.That said, thanks to internet access, I cite several stories below that have momentarily captured my attention. This week’s ramble looks at three items about which I’ll offer a few comments.First, the demise of two longstanding entities: The Saturday Evening Post magazine, which began in Philadelphia in 1821 (now headquartered in Indiana
Too Much Art? (opens the original)
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I have too much art.I know what you’re thinking. There’s no such thing. And yes, I concur. Nevertheless, there ARE limits, such as available wall space. And if you’re not careful, overcrowded walls, even when artworks are worthy, can be too much… too much to take in, too much to appreciate, just “too too” as my late mother would say.Or so I say, trying to convince myself. A quick overview of this “problem.”I have wide-ranging tastes in art, including but not limited to abstracts, modernists, and
Cruising Down the River (opens the original)
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I’m singing today. “Cruising down the river on a Sunday afternoon / With one you love, the sun above, waiting for the moon.” An old-timey song if ever there was one.The “cruising” word in this tune refers to a pleasant boat trip. But Paula and I, plus friends Denis & Martha were committed to “tube travel”. The river we cruised on the last Sunday in August was the Cedar. From the Iowa – Minnesota state line, where the river meanders down from Austin (Minnesota), to D & M’s home on the water, two
“Go and Tell” (opens the original)
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“Come and see. Go and tell.”This was the simple, six-word motto for a wonderful (liberal) Lutheran church where Paula and I worshiped often early in our marriage. It’s only fair to note that Scandinavian Lutherans generally respond better to the first of these two invitations.This sunny Sunday morning, while traveling in the South Pacific enroute to Australia – a long-planned, much anticipated adventure – Paula and I find ourselves in Samoa. A former British colony, we decide to attend an Anglic
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