More from our inbox:
To the Editor:
“Death Changed My Life,” by Charles M. Blow (column, Jan. 24), was brave, forthright and searing. We humans are all broken in ways that are very often difficult to admit to ourselves, let alone articulate.
In sharing his struggles with single parenting, his impostor syndrome and his chronic depression, Mr. Blow invites his readers to be kind to themselves.
Having read his memoir and twice seen the opera based on it, I acknowledge the challenges his life has served up. And, of course, I hoped he had risen above the brokenness, a feat we all aspire to. Thank you, Charles Blow, for putting a true face on our shared humanity.
Robin Kline
Des Moines
To the Editor:
Charles Blow has long been my go-to columnist. His columns, mostly political, are incisive, powerful and timely. None, however, have moved me quite like this one.
A retired psychologist, I wish I had been in possession of this column years ago to share with my patients. His words were possibly worth more than anything I may have accomplished in the many hours I spent trying to be of assistance to my patients.
Even more, though, Mr. Blow’s journey strikes home as it echoes some of my own setbacks and self-doubts. Not many of us, particularly those as accomplished as Mr. Blow, have the strength of character to share such vulnerability. His candor is reassuring to all of us who at varying points have felt like impostors.
Jeff Leonards
Buxton, Maine
To the Editor:
Charles Blow’s column about his life changes after his brother died is a good lesson for all of us, especially men. It highlights how our culture has boxed men into a corner where they cannot show vulnerability.
He points out that life is a series of peaks and valleys. That is a constant theme in mindfulness practices. We are like an ocean and there will be waves. The waves of pain and suffering will come and go, but deep down there can be calm. You just have to sit with the pain and not cover it up.
Many of us know about the power of connection to others in an honest and open manner. Women have known this for ages. Men, on the other hand, would rather talk about sports, work and certainly not emotional stuff.
Mr. Blow, through the tragic loss of his brother, found a new way of living his own life. Well done.
Ike Koziol
Sarasota, Fla.
The End of America as a Great Power?
To the Editor:
In recent weeks, I’ve read a growing number of articles by political pundits and academics here in Canada, in the United Kingdom and in Western European nations that speculate about where the world is headed now that America can no longer be counted on to stand as the leader of the nations that believe in and practice democracy. That notion increasingly is seen as a painful new reality.
The question I would ask those who believe that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump is this: If you continue to assert that specious claim, what will the end result be? Going forward, it can only be that no election result, presidential or otherwise, ever will be accepted by voters whose preferred candidate fails to win.
That us-versus-them rejection of election results is a surefire recipe for civil unrest, violence and ultimately civil war. In short, it will spell the end of American democracy and of America as a great power.
Ken Cuthbertson
Kingston, Ontario
Worried Wordle Fans
To the Editor:
Re “The New York Times Buys the Game Sensation Wordle” (Business, Feb. 1):
Awful
Upset
Sorry
Bleak
Spurn
Greed
Don’t ruin this simple pleasure. Please: no ads, no sign-in, no payment. Please consider making this your wellness gift to the English-language readers of the world. A simple pleasure — keep it that way.
Gigi Nickas
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
To the Editor:
Although it may have seemed attractive for The Times to buy Wordle, the free game is so perfectly designed that there is no way to change or monetize the game that will not detract from the experience and annoy millions of users.
Jonathan Grudin
Issaquah, Wash.
A Dispute Over a Native Mascot
To the Editor:
Re “Bitter Divisions Surround Fight to Defy ‘Indian’ Mascot Ban” (news article, Jan. 30):
We are one of the four families in Cambridge, N.Y., who filed a petition to overturn the school board’s decision to reinstate the Indian mascot. For us, this issue goes beyond the harm that such mascots inflict on Native Americans.
Numerous studies have shown that such mascots undermine any efforts at schools such as Cambridge to create an inclusive, welcoming environment for students, families and staff members of all backgrounds. The very presence of the mascot and the district’s dogged defense of it are seen as hostile to diversity and have resulted in some families removing their children from the school system.
The vote to reinstate the Indian mascot at a predominantly white school in the face of the expressed wishes of the majority of Native organizations sends a disturbing message to all students. It says it is OK, even good, to stereotype in order to keep a cherished tradition, and grants permission to define other groups of people in any way that suits their purposes.
Edwin Schiele
Debby Jaffe
Cambridge, N.Y.
