Tag Archives: Nicholas Kristof

Boy on the Trampoline

I moved to Portland a couple of summers ago, and shortly after settling in, I noticed a repetitive noise coming from a neighbor’s yard. It sounded like a soft, rhythmic bouncing: Squeeja-squeeja-squeeja-squeeja. It would go on throughout much of the day. A tall wooden fence separated my backyard from the neighbor’s. I peered through a […]

Does Old Age Have a Future?

If youth is wasted on the young, then old age is wasted on the elderly. Nobody wants to get old, except maybe someone young or middle-aged who has a life-threatening illness. Then getting old looks like a luxury. Having good health and money in old age removes some of the dread but invites criticism: “Oh, […]

Visiting a Bad Neighborhood

Wealth doesn’t always trickle down, but poverty can metastasize in all directions. People know that. It makes them fearful, which is why so many Americans on this Labor Day are careful to say, “I’m just thankful I have a job.” Never mind if the job serves a useful purpose, or if it pays less than […]