Here’s the headline: Journalism in the United States is at a crossroads, and that’s not hyperbole. It’s no secret that today the journalism profession itself is often part of the lead story. What counts as legitimate news? Are our Twitter feeds and Facebook posts filled with fake news? How can we separate the journalistic wheat from the chaff? Today we […]
Frederic Reamer
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This I Believe New England – Missed Gatherings
Who hasn’t noticed that life sometimes brings us its share of uninvited disappointments – some trivial, some truly profound? And haven’t all of us learned that in abundance this year as the coronavirus pandemic has dashed so many of our dreams? Julia Richardson thinks so, and she shares the lessons she has learned along the way. Julia […]
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This I Believe New England – A Virtual Classroom
It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has rewritten the rules governing our daily lives. Movie theaters? What are those? Hugs? Say what? Handshakes? You’ve got to be kidding. Among the most daunting challenges brought about by coronavirus is how to teach and learn remotely, where the richness of face-to-face encounters in the classroom have […]
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This I Believe New England – A Family History
As we march through our lives, it seems inevitable that we’ll look in the rearview mirror and reflect on our complex journeys. For some of us the reflections are filled with heartwarming nostalgia and wide smiles; for others, the backward look is saturated with unspeakable pain and gnawing grief. For most of us, perhaps, there’s […]
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This I Believe New England – Holiday Adjustments
Let’s start with the obvious: The COVID-19 pandemic has turned all of our lives upside down. Or maybe it’s inside out. Or maybe it’s some other contorted version of what life once was. We’ve all made adjustments—some small, some medium, and some very large. Dave Ursillo shares with us his family’s refreshingly creative reset of longstanding family traditions. Dave […]
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This I Believe New England – Cultural Appropriation
Cultural diversity and sensitivity are in the air, in unprecedented ways. Our nation clearly is in the midst of a much-needed awakening that’s forcing us to take a hard and nuanced look at our understanding and appreciation of race, ethnicity, indeed every form of difference we encounter in our lives. Teenager Karuna Lohmann shares with us her […]
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This I Believe New England – About Despair
Every life is bound to have its moments of despair and sorrow, amidst the joy and merriment. The psychiatrist Irvin Yalom once said, “Despair is the price one pays for self-awareness. Look deeply into life, and you’ll always find despair.” What matters most, I suppose, is how we manage these painful moments, as we hear […]
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This I Believe New England – You Never Know
If there’s any certainty in life, it may be this: life is uncertain. Some people with truly dire medical prognoses recover, perhaps for reasons we’ll never understand. You never know. Some stellar athletes are labeled “can’t miss” and then, well, miss. You never know. Some students are mired in the academic basement and, to everyone’s […]
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This I Believe New England – Right or Wrong
Our contemporary world seems saturated with complex black and white issues, especially our conversations about Black Lives Matter and other race-related challenges. Yet, our world is also filled with gray, make that many shades of gray. Many of us are wrestling with complex questions concerning race, policing, even whether and when to wear a mask during the […]
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This I Believe New England – Okay To Not Be Okay
Life certainly serves up its share of struggles. That’s inevitable, particularly in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Those of us who are parents do our best to shield our children from life’s bumps and bruises, especially the significant, traumatic ones. Yet, no matter our noble efforts, children sometimes labor quietly with their internal anguish. Fourteen-year-old Alice […]