The other rainy morning at a local coffee shop an elderly man held the door for me. Whitehaired and slightly stooped, we exchanged smiles. As I walked out, a woman passed me going in. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the man touch the brim of an invisible hat and say to her, “M’lady,” ...

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a pivot point is “a point where the situation changes significantly.” In other words: something just hit the fan. Whether you’re in a foggy lake, following doomed orders or leading a nation out of oppression, the choice is the same — ...

In my last column, I wrote about amor fati—the radical acceptance of life’s path—and the daring Kretser sisters who embrace ice baths and bureaucratic upheaval with grace. Amor fati means embracing even life’s hardships. But where’s the sweet spot between acceptance and intuitive ...

“The next time you have a sore throat, be thankful you’re not a giraffe.” — Trotty Veck A month ago, Curt Stager, author and professor of natural sciences at Paul Smith’s College, posted a video of ice going out on Akwesasne Lake. As the slushy shore of Lower St. Regis Lake lapped ...

“Old Rule: Lead with dominance. Create Followers. New Rule: Lead with humanity. Cultivate Leaders.” — Abby Wambach, US Women’s National Soccer Team 2001-2015, author of “Wolfpack” Let’s talk about karma. Not the sage-scented yoga-retreat kind, I mean the industrial-grade ...

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” — Maya Angelou At 6:30 p.m., it was 88 degrees, with a two-hour wait — just another Thursday night at Casa del Sol. Dermott Morgan was spinning tales and pushing margaritas while I ran food, and Jay Fogarty, with ...