Category Archives: Op/Ed Thoughts

The Paper

Posted on January 31, 2018 by aamontgomery

Until I watched Steven Spielberg’s latest movie “The Post” last evening, I had never thought of the throughline that newspapers have had in my life. When I was growing up, Daddy supplemented our income by working Saturday nights–through the night … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Courage, Knoxville, Op/Ed Thoughts, Screen, Women, Wonder, Work, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Elephants Fight

Posted on July 10, 2017 by aamontgomery

When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers. ~ African proverb As I was having lunch with my husband at our local health food coop, Three Rivers Market, I looked inside my drink container’s lid and this quote was written … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Childhood, Courage, Family, Ideas, Music, Op/Ed Thoughts, Travel, Women, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Daddy’s Mountain Roots

Posted on May 31, 2017 by aamontgomery

Since my father passed away in early December last year, I have been considering what tree I should plant to celebrate the person he was, in gratitude for the life and values he gave me, and to remember the unconditional … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Blooming, Family, Home, Op/Ed Thoughts, Tribute | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Do Justice to the Ones You Love

Posted on April 30, 2017 by aamontgomery

A few weeks ago, my husband Kurt and I watched “Kedi”, a thoroughly delightful movie about the historic street cats of Istanbul, Turkey. These cats have no defined owners, they are not picked out at animal shelters or pet stores. … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Courage, Creativity, Fabulous, Happiness, Ideas, Love, Op/Ed Thoughts, Screen | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Give Me a Young Man’s Wisdom

Posted on February 28, 2017 by aamontgomery

[I wrote this original blogpost two years ago. Though much has changed since April 2015, it is amazing how much has remained the same–and I find this post eerily relevant to our country in February 2017.] Sometimes I find the most extraordinary … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Childhood, Courage, Freedom, Happiness, Ideas, Joy (Joie de General), Love, Music, Op/Ed Thoughts, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Going On

Posted on January 2, 2017 by aamontgomery

Why are all the real things, the important things, so easily mislaid underneath the things that hardly matter at all? — Jeanette Winterson, from “Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days” Over the last year I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Alzheimer's, Autobiographical, Dementia, Ideas, Intuition, Love, Op/Ed Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Love, Honor, and Compassion

Posted on November 7, 2016 by aamontgomery

Grandfather, Sacred One, teach us love, compassion, and honor that we may heal the earth and heal each other. ~ Native American Ojibwa Prayer Perhaps growing up poor gave me a natural affinity for Native Americans and other people who were … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Beauty, Books, Childhood, Courage, Family, Freedom, Friends, Ideas, Love, Op/Ed Thoughts, Photography, Women, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Daddy’s Last Vote

Posted on October 1, 2016 by aamontgomery

When I was a child in the early 1960s, my world was a fog of (1) trying to figure out the inexplicable behavior of the adults around me, (2) hoping to discern what they wanted me to do, and (3) … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Childhood, Courage, Family, Freedom, Knoxville, Op/Ed Thoughts, Tribute | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Difference Between Good and Evil

Posted on August 28, 2016 by aamontgomery

How can you not help, if a child asks? Someone who does not know the difference between good and evil is worth nothing. In fact, such a person belongs in a mental institution. —Mieczysław Kasprzyk, a Polish farmer who risked his … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Family, Happiness, Ideas, Op/Ed Thoughts, Uncategorized, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coming Up Short in a Small-town City

Posted on August 31, 2015 by aamontgomery

When I was growing up here in the South in the valley near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, my hometown of Knoxville seemed organized, adults had rules, my sister and I enjoyed a good many snowfalls, and I could … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiographical, Home, Knoxville, Op/Ed Thoughts, Work, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments