There’s a phrase that’s stuck in my mind ever since the day I had the enormous (and effortless) good fortune to become an American citizen. Seventeen years ago, the judge who swore in a couple of hundred of us as new citizens told us to pursue our dreams, and to get involved in our communities. Then, she said: “America is not a perfect country. But it is a great land.”
Summer of Love
These days, it’s all too easy to bewail what makes America less than a perfect country. Given the emotional, verbal and physical abuse inflicted by those currently in power on innocents and so many other decent people and institutions, it’s been tempting to look for a way out (yes, those cottages for sale in the English countryside sure look inviting!) But sometimes — especially on anniversaries like July 4th, or for example, August 31 (my anniversary of citizenship)– I feel I should remind myself of what made me fall in love with this great land in the first place. Continue reading “Happy Birthday, America The (Not Always) Beautiful”
So, here I am with my American BFF watching a wedding, and eating and drinking at 5 in the morning. This morning. Here’s why: 
First thing yesterday morning, I cancelled all my appointments, my morning tennis game and lunch, and waited for the clock to roll around to 9 A.M. for the delivery of my copy of the new Trump tell-all book. The publishers of Michael Wolff’s Fire And Fury: Inside the Trump White House, in response to a cease-and-desist letter from Trump’s lawyers, had decided to bring forward the publication date to yesterday morning. 
There is no way I could write this post without including an article (or two) about #MeToo and the sexual harassment scandal that erupted with Hollywood Fat Boy, Harvey Weinstein at its centre. You may be surprised, however, by the articles I’ve picked –one of which prompted me to think back 40 years to a cab ride I shared in New York City with actor Dustin Hoffman.