How Can We Matter

What is Health Literacy Personal health literacy is our ability to find, understand, and use information and services to make informed health-related decisions and actions for ourselves and others. Image Credit: Erie County Department of Health For the elderly, while the "evening years" should ideally be a time of peace, they are often fraught with anxiety because of a profound "biological illiteracy." This blog highlights a critical but often overlooked aspect of aging: Health Literacy . When an individual does not understand the machine they inhabit, they become a passive passenger rather than the captain of their own health.   The following sections provide an expansion on these core points: The Anatomy of Aging: A Mystery to Many Many elderly individuals view their bodies as a "black box." They experience pain or decline as a vague, inevitable cloud rather than a specific physiological process. They are unable to distinguish between "normal aging...

The historical Kafala System in Saudi Arabia and the current H-1B visa system in the United States share a fundamental structural feature: they both tie the worker's legal residence status directly to a specific employer! Kafala System of Saudi Arabia  The Kafala system—derived from the Arabic word for “sponsorship”—was established in the 1950s across Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia. Under this arrangement, a migrant worker’s legal status was tied to their employer, or kafeel , who held considerable authority over the worker’s ability to switch jobs, travel abroad, or seek legal protection. Human rights organizations have long condemned the system for fostering exploitation, abuse, and conditions akin to forced labor. In a landmark move, Saudi Arabia has officially abolished the Kafala system as of June 2025 . This reform affects nearly 13 million foreign workers, granting them the right to change employment and exit the country without needing employer approval—marking a si...

Introduction The ancient Vedic triad of Satyam (Truth), Shivam (Goodness/Auspiciousness), and Sundaram (Beauty) has long provided a profound metaphysical framework for comprehending Brahman , the ultimate, unchanging reality in Vedanta philosophy. This framework posits existence as eternal ( Satyam ), pure consciousness ( Shivam ), and blissful beauty ( Sundaram ). In a striking modern and symbolic evolution, this philosophical concept has found a new, corporate-age embodiment within the American technology landscape. The journey of these concepts from Indian ashrams to Silicon Valley boardrooms is a powerful narrative of global talent migration and influence, a journey that " flew the shores of India on the back of H-1B visas ." Today, this Vedic trinity of Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram, symbolizes the truth , goodness , and beauty of American technological and economic supremacy , as well as the global future of information, sustainability, and communication . The Trinity of...

(A summary of this extended post can be found at the end.) T his post follows up on my earlier piece titled   Beyond Condemnation: A Deeper Look at Responsibility , published on September 14, 2025, in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s tragic murder. In that article, I made a heartfelt appeal to his widow, Erika Kirk, urging her to consider a radically different path in responding to the intense anger directed at the accused, Tyler Robinson. I respectfully invited Erika to explore an alternative approach by asking:  "what if you chose a different, more  courageous  path? A path not of  hate  for the 22-year-old, but of  radical compassion . Instead of seeking retribution, you could lead your family in a new direction— a mission to heal the deep divisions in our world with love and empathy . This would not be an act of weakness, but one of  extraordinary strength , offering a powerful  counter-narrative  to the cycle of violence". ...