Today's Opinions

I don’t know if I’m able to go on a vacation, the intent of which is to escape, do nothing substantial, to completely let go, and to be only in the moment of the time and place.
My Greece travel companions wondered why I focused on writing articles and became nearly frantic when unable to connect to the Internet to submit them by deadline.

To climb Mount Olympus is breathtaking: the challenge of the trail, the vistas and the awareness that ancient Olympians competed there.
To run a marathon in Greece would evoke a similar powerful emotive reaction.
To cheer on with “bravos!” marathoners running the gnarly trail of Olympus by those who appreciate what the runners are accomplishing simply for the joy of it — 26.2 miles of painful footwork over treacherous terrain — is exhilarating.

Four years ago was the 400th anniversary of the settlement at Jamestown, which, if we agree to identify as the first permanent settlement of America and thus our birth, makes us a mere toddler in terms of Greece, a land with thousands of islands that traces its roots to 3000 BCE — before the common era — and beyond. That is like comparing the life experiences of a 4-year-old to a 50-year-old.