Welcome to the Corner

I have always wanted to contribute to the narrative of America. Being born on July 2, the day our independence from Great Britain was declared, it has almost felt incumbent upon me to do so. I have determined that I can best do so through personal narrative informed by my decades of professional work in public policy focused on how we live together—in big and small ways.

By landing at the geographic point on our globe of “Community” and “Homeside”—that intersection, in and of itself—captures the essence of daily life, and serves as a metaphor of the inherent conflict between individual needs and wants (homeside) and the responsibilities of living in civil society (community).

That tension begins as soon as you open the door to step into the world outside. Do you smile at the passerby or wave to your neighbor? Do they smile or wave back? Perhaps you are in a rush or they didn’t see you without their glasses on. Every exchange seems easy or fraught depending on the day or moment. These questions seem small, but they have big implications. And, in the long run, they even pertain to how we participate in our democracy and govern ourselves.

The goal of Insights from the Corner is to explore topics related to this connection. My hope is that the posts will always be short, thoughtful reads. I will sometimes draw from historic topics, like the Enlightenment, or make reference to current events, but my intention is to always do so in an earnest voice that seeks input from others.

Welcome.