Opinion

There was a change in the pitch of the engines on the plane that woke me up. I wasn’t concerned because if one is heading into a war zone, it is not hard to stay awake. Everything is new and you don’t want to...

Today as I sit down to put my thoughts to paper, I am very troubled, maybe even frightened. I speak of the current political situation in our nation’s capital. I don’t suppose I need to reiterate the situations that are occurring. All you have...

You ever wake up in a funk? When I awoke this morning, I had the terrible feeling of doom. I don’t know why I felt this way, but it seemed as though I wouldn’t make it through the day, and not making it through...

To the Editor: Today I read about an upcoming ceremony for veterans who served in Vietnam. Unlike other military members in previous wars, they were not given a hero’s welcome upon their return. Now, 50 years after their homecoming, the Vietnam War Commemoration is honoring veterans with...

What is patience? In my handy College Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary, patience is described as “The act of waiting calmly for someone or something.” Now that we know what it is, can anyone tell me if you have patience? I used to have a...

I am fortunate enough to have access to a vehicle when one is required, and so I was recently able to make it to two events, one as participant and the other as attendee. These two events were miles and cultures apart; not uncommon...

I have been writing about my life and my town for a long time if you follow me on a regular basis. I have shared my travels and my thoughts, some appreciated and some have brought condemnation. It gets harder and harder to write...

How suitable is it that this year, Remembrance Sunday, falls on Nov. 9 — the 25th anniversary of my mother’s death. On that day, I shall coincidentally be in my hometown, the place we both loved, to honor her memory, and all the time...

For decades in the Salinas Valley, the short-handle hoe, known as “El Cortito,” was used for weeding and thinning rows of crops that kept farmworkers stooped over for long hours each day. Workers were only able to stand and stretch when they reached the...

You know, living in the Salinas Valley is a pretty cool place to live. Except for the rain we have been enjoying lately, it is very much like the valley I grew up in. Well, maybe not as cool. In the summer we could...