In the midst of a conversation, some friends asked how long it takes me to write a column. My response: it depends. If I have a topic I “feel,” not very long — say a couple of hours, allowing for ...

I always speak to you, my compassionate readers, from my heart. So, I want to tell you that this is the hardest time I’ve had writing a column in the 27 years I’ve been a Cape Cod Times columnist. I ...