At long last, the bike path from Fresh Pond to Watertown is usable. Two years after its scheduled completion date, signs and pylons still declare “Path Closed,” but the surface is paved and striped and many pedestrians and cyclists use it. The stretch of pavement (less than half a mile)…

It is a glorious April Saturday morning in New England. Sixty degrees: bright sun; cotton candy clouds; light breeze. I hop on my bike to go to the gym and run errands. I travel easily along city streets, many of which have designated bicycle lanes. I divert onto dedicated bike…

One serendipitous joy of my life is living three blocks from Mount Auburn Cemetery, my go-to destination for a walk any time of year. Our country’s first garden cemetery, consecrated 1831, is a national landmark of remarkable landscape brimming with intriguing monuments. The place reflects Boston’s history, both serious…

Last October the Cambridge Public Library joined a trend among libraries nation-wide. They abolished overdue fees on materials past due. I always knew the point of charging ten cents per day per overdue book (a dollar for a CD!) was not to generate real income for…

I stand in front of the gym locker and stare at my combination lock. Let’s see… Is it 6–29–34? Or maybe 29–6–34? It can’t be 34–29–6: combo locks are always high/low/high. I know the three numbers involved. I recall the basic algorithm of a padlock. But what order? I have…

In January, the American Red Cross proclaimed its first ever “blood crisis.” Boston-area hospitals have established priority protocols should available blood become scarce. My response to this humanitarian challenge: Tough Nuggies to the homophobic Red Cross. Forty-five years ago, as a dutiful college undergraduate, I received a gallon-pin from the…

A civilized person is one “…with inborn instincts inhibited.” That phrase stopped me short, even though it was embedded — mid-paragraph, page two — in Peter Schjeldahl’s review of “As They Saw It: Artists Witnessing War,” the current exhibit at The Clark (The New Yorker, March 22, 2022). I like…

During my time in Haiti I witnessed the benefits of micro-lending first hand. The idea of providing low- or no-interest loans directly to small entrepreneurs appeals at many levels. It’s a direct person-to-person connection that sidesteps much of the bureaucracy of institutional philanthropy, and it fosters small-scale initiatives that are…

I got a text from a friend last week: “Paid $4.09 per gallon today. A 30-cent increase from my last fill-up.” I wasn’t sure what to make of the message. My friend knows I don’t own a car; the price of gas is immaterial in my life. Yet even I…