Designing For Civility
June 4, 2023A key takeaway from Wisdom Road is not a surprise: America has seen a dramatic loss of civil discourse in the last decade. The skills and practice of civility itself have become endangered by a toxic stew of political, social, and opinion-masquerading-as-news media. I believe that the very foundations of our democratic society are rooted…
Kindness of a Stranger: A Perfect End to Leg 2 of Wisdom Road
March 14, 2023I hit the trifecta to end Leg 2 of Wisdom Road. First, incredible blues at Red’s Blues Club in Clarksdale, MS. The band starts in slowly, but by the third number they are hitting pile driver blues with a beat that thumps your chest and makes your foot rock heel to toe like no other…
More Gems From Southern Louisiana
March 5, 2023So many great people and interviews; too much to synthesize and post thoughtully, so just a few great quotes from the last two days in southern Louisiana: From Darrell Bourque, former Poet Laureate of Louisiana, and current poet/writer: “I was at Northside High School in Lafayette when they first integrated in 1967. Their idea of…
Diving Into Acadian Louisiana on Wisdom Road
February 28, 2023Miss Gina Zachery is why I am on Wisdom Road; a surprise “interview” with my morning Lyft driver: “Wisdom is the beginning of getting everything you want in life. Basically, wisdom is the beginning of understanding. If you have wisdom, you’re gonna know that if you treat a person a certain kind of way, it…
The Real Fuel of Wisdom Road
February 21, 2023Wisdom Road is not fueled by diesel alone. Much more, it is fueled by generosity, hospitality, patience, and a willingness to both invite in, and share deeply, with a total stranger. The vast majority of people I meet along the way, I have never met before. They don’t know who I voted for in the…
Brother Henry Testifies His Story on Wisdom Road
February 14, 2023I would write a lengthy blog quoting Brother Henry Mooney who I interviewed today in his tiny church next door to where he serves food and provides clothing to the homeless three days a week. He grew up on these tough streets of San Antonio, graduated high school, went into the Army, and when he…
Highlights of Wisdom Road: The Rio Grande Valley, TX
February 12, 2023The Rio Grande Valley is not a valley at all. For millennia it was one of the continents great alluvial deltas, where flood waters fed by spring snow melts in the Rockies and torrential monsoon rains in the summer flowed down through the deep canyons of the Big Bend country and then, hitting flat lands…
Part 2 of 2: The Roots of Conservative Values
February 7, 2023As I noted in my previous blog, I had wide-ranging discussions with J.P. Bryan over more than four hours in Marathon, Texas. These are just a few highlights; I will reserve more for the book. J.P.’s personal history, knowledge of the history of this part of America, and ability to place those into the context…
Part 1 of 2: Foundation of a Value System With J.P. Bryan
February 6, 2023If I had stuck strictly to my Wisdom Road mantra of finding “overlooked” voices in America, I would have missed the remarkable opportunity to spend time with J.P. Bryan yesterday in Marathon, TX. I doubt J.P. has been overlooked for much in his life. He is a long time business leader in finance and oil…
Wisdom From the Farm: Wilcox AZ
February 5, 2023Kathy and Toby Collins met in high school when both of their families started farming about six miles south of Wilcox, Arizona. They have been married, according to both of them, for “64 blessed years”. There are not many family farms left in the valley. A dairy came in and bought up a lot of…
Brief Interlude: Kindness
February 3, 2023On the outskirts of El Paso, an engine warning came on; no big deal; oil level a bit high and maybe I needed to drain a half quart. Found a diesel shop; nice supervisor; said checking the problem would just take a few minutes. “The burrito lady just pulled in and all the guys are…
Differences Bridged By Listening and Respect
February 2, 2023Tubac, Arizona is just 25 miles from the Mexican border. For centuries it has been at the heart of the borderlands, rich in multicultural traditions and influences. Over time the border itself has been fluid, ephemeral, and often arbitrary. Currently, this area of the border is one of the most active in terms of commerce,…
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