Columnists

10/02/2026 · Ottawa County

The Two-Minute Pause That Protects Your Day

You don’t have to answer every request on the spot. A small pause before saying yes can help you make choices from intention instead of reflex.

10/01/2026

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Why Shakespeare’s Summer Day Refuses to End

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 begins with a famous question about summer—but its real subject is time, and the audacious little trick poetry can play on it. Read the poem as a wager: what if a few lines could outlast the season itself?

10/01/2026

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The Power You Want Should Not Belong to Someone Else

Mary Wollstonecraft’s sharpest line about freedom is also a useful test for modern arguments about power: are we trying to control others, or finally govern ourselves?

10/01/2026

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The National Ear: Washington’s Waiting Game Has a Price Tag

The country keeps asking who will blink first, voters, lawmakers, workers, or the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, the bills keep arriving on schedule.

10/01/2026

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The Relationship Is Fine—So Why Do I Feel Like I’m Losing My Mind?

Two readers, two very ordinary relationship problems: one partner who treats chores like optional side quests, and one ex who keeps reopening a door that should be nailed shut. The common thread? Stop waiting for people to magically become easier to love.

10/01/2026

Column

Cuba, Missouri: The Route 66 Stop With Better Murals Than You’d Expect

Put Cuba, Missouri, on your next road-trip map when you want old highway atmosphere without the crowds or the souvenir-shop overload. Park downtown, eat something smoky, and spend an hour wondering why this little town has so many enormous murals.

10/02/2026