Memories of My Dad (Paul Eger) by Paula Glessner

By the time I was born, my dad was a math teacher at Covina High School near Los Angeles, but his journey to that role was anything but ordinary. Before he met my mother, he was a citrus rancher in Hemet, California. As part of his ranching business, he often purchased plants. He loved telling stories about how he would travel as far as Texas to acquire them. His roots ran deep in Hemet, where his father was a minister and his mother sang in the church choir.

My dad had a love for horses and owned several that he lent to the local Ramona Pageant, where he himself played Sheriff Merrill in the production. He had a flair for performance, which wasn’t surprising considering he had studied acting with Lloyd Bridges during his time at UCLA. He would do bits from Shakespeare and tell us how the professor would say to him "boy!, you need to pronounciate your words!" His academic path began at Claremont College, continued at UCLA, and concluded at USC, where he earned his Juris Doctorate. Despite his legal education, he decided that teaching held more value for society than practicing law. He believed he could make a difference by reaching young minds before they made poor choices, so he took a teaching position at the local high school in Hemet. I’ve often reflected on this, especially with regret for how difficult I made his life during my teenage years. I truly challenged his whole value system with the many mistakes I made, but he never gave up on me and thanks to his unwavering belief in me, my life turned completely around and we became very close.

My mom and dad moved to Covina where he began teaching math at Covina High School. He remained there until his retirement in 1975. During his years at CHS, he formed close friendships with colleagues at school. He and my mom were active with little league and both Girl and Boy scouting.

I deeply admired and loved both of them. After my mother passed away from breast cancer in 1991, my dad and I talked on the phone weekly, sharing recipes and discussing politics. He had a sharp mind and a kind heart, and he remained engaged with the world around him until the very end.

One of the most touching moments of his later years came when he received a letter from a former student at Covina High School. The student thanked him for everything they had learned in his class. I don't have that letter and I don't recall who wrote it. My dad didn’t receive much recognition from students otherwise, but that one letter meant the world to him. It reflected the kind of man he was—someone who did his best, with a good heart, to leave the world a little better than he found it.

Day 1 - Coronation Day by Paula Glessner

It is 11a.m. on day one of 1,460 days of the Trump administration and I haven’t tuned in to watch the inauguration. I promised myself I'd boycott it. I don’t want to give his ego the idea that I care by tuning in, but does it even matter? Today I feel tired of the whole thing already. I'm not feeling like packing it in, but just indifferent to the whole thing.

On the other side of the US; and much earlier this morning; my youngest daughter said she was going to watch the coronation of America’s first god king, Pumpkin Pol Pot. It made me wonder how many other people feel the same way about Trump’s inauguration; that is felt more like a joker was being made king. I love her humor.

Later this evening I will check for the following:

1. Who was the scapegoat today

2. How many promises has he made and who was affected by them

3. How many lies has he said and whether or not it surprises me. 

4. Did he make himself into a victim equal to MLK? (Since it was MLK’s day today)

5. Which things I need to prepare for battle against in the coming days

The rest of the day will be out doing something else. I don't care what it is... cooking, cleaning or what not... maybe taking a walk or a drive. We'll see.

(Originally published in Reddit on January 20, 2025 by Paula Glessner)

Preface - The Trump Administration by Paula Glessner

The Trump administration has become a crucible of uncertainty, one that I feel compelled to document each day. This journal is not merely a record of political events or policy changes but a reflection of the daily reality I, and many others, experience during this era.

I hope to capture not only the external events that shape our country but also the internal struggles—the fears, frustrations, and hopes—that this time evokes. I will be examining these moments in hope of preserving its lessons for the future.

Let this journal be both a witness and a reckoning. 

(Published in Reddit 01/19/2025)

Though it Would Be Easy, Giving Up Isn't An Option by Paula Glessner

I spent the morning listening to powerful speakers while watching the people’s march today. It was both inspiring and heartbreaking. What keeps me going is knowing, deep in my heart, that so many others feel the same as I do. Whatever happens next, I’ve chosen my side—the side of love and compassion, of empathy for every human being.

I wish I was wrong in this thinking, but I’m not going to lie; my heart still hangs heavy. I wake up every day with an ache that stretches deep into my soul, an anguish I haven’t felt in my lifetime. The United States, the place I’ve loved and believed in despite its flaws, feels as though it’s being methodically dismantled. It’s like watching a house of cards topple in slow motion, knowing you built part of it, knowing it could have stood stronger, knowing there are still good hands trying to steady it—but it’s being eaten away by greed and corruption.

The people steering this descent—the oligarchs, the fanatics—don’t care about anyone, not even the loyal voters who gave them power. They care about control, about wealth, about bending the world to their will while the rest of us crumble beneath their weight. The idea that these people could gut Social Security, destroy the environment for profit, or stoke division to keep us powerless—it burns in me like a fire I can’t put out.

And yet, despair is their weapon. They want us to give up, to believe the fight is futile. Some days, I feel so close to giving in, to thinking it’s easier to stop caring. But then I think about the people who’ve fought before me, who’ve faced impossible odds and still stood up because it mattered, because it always matters.I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know if our resistance will be enough to keep this country from falling into an abyss. But I do know this: even in the darkest times, when all feels lost, I can’t let myself believe that it’s over. It’s not in me to surrender. So I’ll hold onto whatever hope I can find and keep fighting, because that’s what they fear most—that we won’t give up, no matter how heavy our hearts hang.

(Originally posted on Reddit, January 18th, 2025)

Day Minus One - Narcissism and Heroism (by Paula Glessner)

Sometimes, I find myself wondering why someone like Donald Trump, who seems to crave admiration and adulation, doesn’t pursue the kind of actions that would earn him genuine love and respect from millions of people. Wouldn’t he want to be remembered as a true hero—someone whose legacy is not just about bluster, but about real, lasting accomplishments that uplift others? It’s a question that has stuck with me, and the answer, I think, lies in the complicated workings of human psychology.

Trump, like many people with narcissistic tendencies, appears to prioritize admiration over love. And while the two may seem similar on the surface, they couldn’t be more different in their essence. Admiration can be fleeting and shallow—it’s a quick fix, an applause from a crowd, a trending hashtag. Love, on the other hand, is deeper and more enduring. It requires consistency, humility, and a willingness to put others first. It’s about building trust and showing authenticity over time.

But earning love is a long game, one that involves sacrifice and vulnerability. True heroes don’t become beloved overnight; their actions, often quiet and painstaking, gradually reveal their character. Whether it’s tackling climate change, addressing systemic inequality, or advocating for the underprivileged, these efforts often lack the immediate gratification that someone like Trump seems to crave. They don’t come with instant headlines or thunderous applause—at least not at first. And they require a focus on others’ needs, not one’s own.

For someone like Trump, who thrives on visible and immediate validation, this kind of long-term investment in genuine good may not hold much appeal. I imagine that’s part of the reason he gravitates toward the applause of rallies, the dominance of his name on the news, and the spectacle of controversy. These moments provide the kind of instant gratification that likely feels safer and more rewarding to him than the quieter, slower path to building true love and admiration.

I’ve also come to believe that vulnerability plays a key role here. To earn love, one has to show humility and admit mistakes. That’s not easy for anyone, but it’s especially challenging for someone who has built an identity around being invulnerable and always “winning.” Genuine love thrives on trust and reciprocity—qualities that require an openness to critique and growth. In Trump’s world, however, admitting weakness or failure might feel like a threat to his carefully crafted persona.

It’s also worth considering that admiration, while more superficial, may feel more controllable to someone like Trump. Love depends on others seeing your true self and choosing to embrace it, flaws and all. But admiration can be cultivated through performance, by projecting an image rather than revealing one’s true character. For someone who values control as much as Trump seems to, admiration might feel like the safer, more manageable option.

This isn’t to excuse his behavior or suggest that he’s incapable of change. People can surprise us. They can learn and grow. But as I’ve watched Trump’s career and public persona unfold, it’s become clear to me that his pursuit of admiration, rather than love, has shaped not only his actions but also how he is perceived by the world. It’s a choice, conscious or not, to prioritize the fleeting over the enduring, the spectacle over the substance.

And yet, I can’t help but think of the legacy he could have if he made a different choice. Imagine a Donald Trump who tackled climate change head-on, championed social justice, or worked to unite a divided nation. Imagine the millions of people who would remember him not as a polarizing figure but as someone who used his platform and power to lift others up. That kind of legacy isn’t just admired; it’s loved. And it lasts far beyond the spotlight of the moment.

(Originally published on January 19th, 2025 in Reddit.)