Little Boy Lost

had become one of the growing number of people who claimed to be spiritual, not religious—whatever that meant. Whether I believed in God or not was an open question. It’s hard to maintain faith when life gives you such pain and organized religion seems to have been co-opted by the cruel and self-righteous.

We are, whether by nature or nurture, episodic. We find a problem and then we fix it. We want there to be a beginning and an end.

We are in a constant relationship with one another, a series of communications sent and received through word and action. An unrelenting feedback loop that either gets louder or softer, but never goes away.

Hiker found them,” he said, “doing that geocaching stuff.

Whether I believed in God or not was an open question. It’s hard to maintain faith when life gives you such pain and organized religion seems to have been co-opted by the cruel and self-righteous.

Some may argue that we shouldn't shelter our children. We should let them see and experience the sins that are all around us. By keeping the children unaware, they say, we are preventing the development of their defenses. I disagreed. We have our whole lives to experience the ugliness, our whole lives to grapple with society's misplaced priorities. Trying to give a child a childhood was nothing to be ashamed of.

Hollywood for ugly people” and “an incestuous breeding ground for idiots.

Can’t be on top without somebody on the bottom.

Truly sad that the most diverse neighborhood in our city is one for the dead and not the living.

DISTRICT COURT MISSION STATEMENT: SHUT UP AND PUT THE CHOCOLATES IN BOXES

She didn’t want me to be late. “Sounds painful,” I said. She didn’t care. “It’s money. We need the money.” Then she hung up. I got out of the car, wondering how a woman I had met and hired just that morning had somehow become my new boss.

Rules equal love. If you let your children run the show, then you really don’t love them.

It isn’t politics that’s the problem. It’s the people who get into politics.” “Guess

It’s hard to maintain faith when life gives you such pain and organized religion seems to have been co-opted by the cruel and self-righteous. But

The hallway outside the courtroom was as crowded as ever, filled with people who were at some stage of “growing into their guilt.” This refers to a concept very similar to the five stages of grief developed by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross: First, a criminal defendant denies; he claims to be innocent. Second, he gets angry at the system, lashing out at the cops or the judge or his attorney. Third, he bargains, searching for a plea deal that will keep him out of jail or prison. Fourth and fifth come depression, and, ultimately, acceptance. The

The Whites Only signs have been taken down, but they’re still there. This is your fight now.” My

But politics ain’t a game to me. Never been a game, but too many people think it is.” He gestured to the outside. “Buster, Lincoln, everybody. That’s why our community is in such trouble. That’s why Congress is so dysfunctional. It isn’t politics that’s the problem. It’s the people who get into politics.” “Guess