Ethan M. Rogers

File Under: Unintended Consequences How a privacy-obsessed Congress doxed alleged Epstein victims

https://ethanmrogers.substack.com/p/healthcare-holds-budget-hostage

Healthcare Holds Budget Hostage The fight over pandemic era tax credits continues while the clock ticks

https://ethanmrogers.substack.com/p/the-blame-game-a-shutdown-reality

The Blame Game: A Shutdown Reality How structural law and budget games keep America from working

https://ethanmrogers.substack.com/p/the-man-who-shut-down-the-government

The Man Who Shut Down the Government How one lawyer's opinion broke the American government - and how to fix it

At Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland today taking pictures of the cherry trees. At one point I was taking a picture of a friends 2 year old granddaughter that we had sat on a tree branch to get her closer to the cherry blossoms.
A man approached and, with a reminiscent smile, spoke of a memory from many years before when he had taken a similar photograph of a neighbor's child.
I asked his name. Ben, he told me and I offered mine in return. He apologized for interrupting and I thanked him for doing so, for sharing his memory with me.
Ben is 70, he had just returned from Belgium where he was visiting a friend of over 50 years.
Cherish these moments, he told me, and apologized again for interrupting.
I assured him that I was thankful he did interrupt, that it spoke to my heart that he would take the time to share a moment of joy from his life, a cherished memory, with stranger.
I hope as I age I am as willing to interrupt others as Ben was, that I am as willing to share the beauty and joy of life, the memories and wisdom of friendship with others.
I hope we could all be more like Ben, be willing to connect with others, even if only for a moment as we stroll through a park.