Praise, mostly with my best friend who identifies herself as, among many other things, social activist, community developer, neo-golfer, book lover, loyal friend, and Pakistani. And with my husband and my Mom. Those are the regulars.

At choir practice, we often chew over thorny topics at break, racism, poverty and feminism included. And with my young pianist friend who is dreadfully prejudiced largely out of cultural unawareness. He'll complain bitterly about how "badly" a particular nationality of pianist plays Mozart without even a thought as to how badly he and I would play the music of their culture. I shall remind him of this the complaining gives way to a philosophical, curious approach to the matter. If it's true that you can't change people, I shall die a broken record on this account.