by Robyn Metcalfe | Jul 28, 2022 | Substack
The sharp crack of a trio of muskets pierced the air one fine July morning in Thomaston, Maine. I watched a small group of Revolutionary War reenactors as they approached, packing gunpowder into the muzzles, signaling that something of consequence was about to occur.
Thomaston is one of many small towns in Maine with 2,700 residents. During the summer, the town swells with summer visitors and their appetite for blueberries…and its traditional Fourth of July parade.
Read this and the bonus essay, Georgia On My Mind, in the latest issue of my Substack newsletter, out today: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe
by Robyn Metcalfe | Jun 30, 2022 | Substack
I began to appreciate the process of making friends as a long-term endeavor that couldn’t be short-circuited. You can’t “speed-date” a new friend.
Friendships I had developed over the past came from shared stories and experiences, from being vulnerable together to being curious about each other’s points of view and their own stories, hopes, and aspirations.
All of that takes time.
You can see how much time it takes to keep friends close over time in my latest Substack issue, out now robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe.
by Robyn Metcalfe | Jun 30, 2022 | Substack
Last month, I paid someone to drop my daughter and me in the middle of the mountains for eight days with no phone or map.
It was an exhilarating international adventure where we wouldn’t even know where in the world – or which mountains we’d be dropped in – until we looked at our boarding passes at the airport.
Since you’re reading this, you’ll know *spoiler alert* that we survived 😉 and the adventure was made even far more interesting with our mountain guide, who prepped us for this wild experience.
Why would we pay for an experience that many people would describe as a nightmare? What did we learn? Was it easy to make it out?
I’m revealing it all inside a bonus essay in the latest issue of my Substack newsletter, out now: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe
In addition to the survival adventure piece, you’ll also find stories on deepening friendships over decades and some street photography.
by Robyn Metcalfe | May 31, 2022 | Substack
During the ‘80s, I continued to accompany my husband to tech conferences and continued to always see a row of Soviet “scientists” furiously taking notes in the back.
To satisfy my curiosity, I began to learn about how the Soviets developed their own technology and how the US succeeded or failed at maintaining its strategic advantage with technology. My research turned into a book, The New Wizard War, published in 1988.
While writing the book, I met FBI agents, US customs officials, Soviet defectors, and academics who studied US economic and intellectual property law.
Read more about this experience and how we can connect the dots from the past to predict the future in the latest issue of my Substack newsletter, out today: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe
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by Robyn Metcalfe | May 4, 2022 | Substack
Photo by: University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
The problem with old people is that they act as if they’ve seen it all. I see that, too.
Earth Day is upon us and social media fills our screens with calls to action against all sorts of environmental evils: carbon emissions, deforestation, fossil fuels. Everyone wants in on the act: The Department of Commerce invites its employees to post photos of their outdoor activities, New York City will close its streets to cars for a day, and Google is sending its subscribers digital wallpaper with images of green trees and pristine clouds. Businesses, universities, city governments, and world leaders rally around a day we celebrate in much the same way as Valentine’s Day: Hallmark displays its Earth Day cards next to its Easter cards.
Earth Day wasn’t always this mainstream or fashionable. Or domesticated.
The first Earth Day occurred 52 years ago. It originated at the University of Michigan and I was there. You’d be surprised to see who was there and what they did.
This is an excerpt from Robyn’s latest Substack newsletter. To read the entire article, subscribe here.
by Samantha Fagan | Mar 31, 2022 | Substack
Stories From Past Invasions – August 1968. In 1968, I arrived in Prague on the same day as Russian tanks filled the city square.
As I watched Russian tanks invade Ukraine, I couldn’t help remembering the faces of the Czech families in the streets the day the Russians arrived in their country.
Read about my experience that day in Prague in the March issue by signing up for my Substack newsletter here: https://robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe
