Essays to inspire, amuse and entertain

Many things to explore

Explore the entries

  • Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
    by givingbeyondthebox
    Looking at the weather forecast at the end of a very long winter, I wondered what the predictions would look like if they were written by a poet. Here is my three-day forecast in mid-March, New England, 2026. An early dawn, an undistinguished sunrise Muted by damp rain burdened clouds All day they linger threatening … Continue reading Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow →
  • Final plans
    by givingbeyondthebox
    Like a good elder I ‘ve been reviewing my final plans Not for a European trip or a big family gathering No instead, final plans for my death.   By the way, just for the record I hate the way our language dodges talking about death As if it were contagious or the words carried evil … Continue reading Final plans →
  • Cardboard War on Poverty
    by givingbeyondthebox
    Ten of us arrived in Southern Alabama, late in 1971, freshly graduated from colleges up north. All VISTA Volunteers, that domestic version of President Kennedy’s beautiful dream of the Peace Corps.  Before dispatching us to Alabama, our supervisors had us clean up to look more like southern young people. The boys got haircuts and we … Continue reading Cardboard War on Poverty →
  • The working theory of the universe
    by givingbeyondthebox
    Although I don’t believe in the unified theory of creation, I do embrace the notion that patterns characterize our lives, giving them coherence. In fact, our brains are always making sense of our surroundings — not in ways that always render the truth — but having a working theory is better than the disorienting feeling … Continue reading The working theory of the universe →
  • Underwater
    by givingbeyondthebox
    Often enough, we can find ourselves in a place, both completely recognizable and profoundly strange. Sometimes, we don’t even know we’ve been there until we’ve see sand from the desert on our pants and fragments from the Rain Forest in our boots. Or we see what image emerges in our camera and wonder how something … Continue reading Underwater →
  • Eggsecutive Orders: We’ve cracked this case
    by givingbeyondthebox
    Few things are more American than bacon and eggs for breakfast. However, due to the malfeasance, corruption, and incompetence of the former administration, patriotic Americans are paying exorbitant prices for a dozen eggs. No one loves eggs more than the present administration. We feel your pain. Effective today, we are declaring a national egg emergency. … Continue reading Eggsecutive Orders: We’ve cracked this case →

Sandra Enos, PhD: About me

I have been writing a blog for about ten years now. I retired from work as a Sociology professor in 2019. I have written for academic publications and others as well. I have a chestful of journals that trace back to my teenage years. Blogging gives me a chance to share some ideas and put things to paper. I appreciate the outlet. My writing spans serious issues as well as the silly and comedic notions. I live in New England, play the guitar, play percussion in a band, sing in chorus, teach a bit, am fascinated by creativity at every age, and am active in my community.