Letters to the Editor
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Published Letters: 8 Editor's Choice: 3
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Contact info for President Fire Thunder and the tribe
[Read the article: Sioux leader vows to bring Planned Parenthood to S.D. reservation]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If you want to mail donations to the reservation, you may do so at:
Oglala Sioux Tribe
ATTN: President Fire Thunder
P. O. Box 2070
Pine Ridge, SD 57770
OR: and this may be preferred, due to mail volume:
ATTN: PRESIDENT FIRE THUNDER
PO BOX 990
Martin, SD 57751
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The other reason for the letter
[Read the article: My sister is having an illicit affair]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The LW should not disclose her sister's secret, but she obviously needs some kind of change in the dynamic between herself and her sister, or else she would not have felt driven to write in the first place.
I was in a similar position a few years back, albeit with a now ex-friend who was cheating on his then-girlfriend instead of a relative dating a cheater, and I realized that what bothered me was the friend's insistence upon confiding details of the infidelity to me, knowing that it bothered me. So I told the friend that I did not want to hear another word about the cheating, and whenever the friend tried to push that boundary, I held firm, right down to the tactic of sticking my fingers in my ears and saying "La la la - I can't hear you."
I knew I couldn't change my ex-friend's behavior toward his then-girlfriend, but I could at least stop him from any further insertion of the gory details into my life, and while the friendship did end at a later time, the issue of the cheating was not the reason for that ending.
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Dear LW,
[Read the article: I'm a doubting teenager]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Congrats on starting your journey toward adult spirituality. It's a tough road, when your path takes you away from the path of your family, but if that's the road for you, you need to travel it.
Years ago, a friend of mine pointed me to the works of John Shelby Spong, a progressive Episcopal bishop with a loving and inclusive idea of Jesus and of Christianity, so that I could understand the friend's take on Christianity.
I particularly recommend "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism."
Good luck to you on the journey, and remember that the destination is not finding answers, it's about finding the right questions that are answered by your soul.
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Answer to your question
[Read the article: My fiancé suddenly joined the Marines]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]He's a little crazy. Should I wait around for six years?
No.
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Good call, Cary
[Read the article: My company wants me to move to California ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]LW, never underestimate the power of roots. I'm living close to my parents for the first time in my post-college life, and I have to say that I love it, and that the experience has been far better than I ever expected. Stay close to your family and to your community of friends. It's hard to build a new life somewhere expensive and competitive under any circumstances, but it is especially difficult when you have solid roots elsewhere. Your letter indicates that you feel the bond of your roots, so be true to those roots.
Jobs come and go, especially in a poor economy. When healthy, loving family and community are irreplaceable.
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Three letters: ADD
[Read the article: I'm an absent-minded engineer; my mind wanders and so does my wallet]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You're describing me, and a lot of other people I know. Meds have helped me somewhat, and I've been reading books specifically for techniques to manage the challenges of ADD/chronic disorganization.
I've been told that there are new cognitive behavioral techniques that also address the challenges of ADD/spaciness, that can work instead of or in conjunction with the drugs. One friend of mine is noticing great results. I've had some other medical issues that have been more pressing, so I haven't had a chance to pursue the cognitive behavior options, but it is high on my priority list.
And yes, an electronic Personal Digital Assistant can be life-transforming, as long as you pay attention to it, and as long as you keep it synchronized to your computer frequently.
From one dreamer to another - good luck. Know that you're alone, if that helps. And if you have benefits, check out whether you can be tested for ADD, and treated if you do have it. There are lots of options for coping, including medicine-free options.
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NOT alone
[Read the article: I'm an absent-minded engineer; my mind wanders and so does my wallet]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Gah - I meant "know that you're NOT alone."
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Separate the critical work from the creative work
[Read the article: The slush pile gave me writer's block!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Cary is right. If your internal editor is getting in the way, you need to give the internal editor a break. Find a writing group for support. Find beta readers to review your work *after* you've finished it before you submit it for publishing. Reallocate energy from your internal editor to your inner creator.
Editing and reviewing require negative energy, and it's far too easy for those of us who have edited and/or reviewed professionally to allow that energy to seep into our creative work. You need to clearly demarcate the boundary between your creative self and your editing/reviewing self if you want to keep the block at bay.
Good luck out there.