In my memoir Left of the Dial I have a short scene about riding the subway. How you don’t know what the person in the Calvin Klein suit sitting across from you is like in private.

It’s a two-sided coin: on one side you can have a person who looks odd and is normal under their facade. On the other side you can have someone who looks normal and is a rebel on the inside.

This is the beauty of individuals: no one is a cardboard character. Even a racist can have their good points. The goal is not to judge others even if it seems a lot of people tend to judge you.

The individuality of a person’s spirit is what makes them beautiful. This is an element of their humanity that no one should try to judge or to take away.

I say: we do away with the judging, with criticizing ourselves and others, with trying to change others to get them to conform to what we think is appropriate.

Celebrate individuality.

It’s what makes the world go around.

I will return on Saturday with a memoir excerpt.

A supervisor used to take me to dinner on Sundays.

We ate in an Italian restaurant famed for its penne vodka with shrimp.

The restaurant closed down and K. is no longer here. At her wake at the funeral home another woman told me K.’s dying wish: “that everyone love each other more.”

Sadly, the trend is hate and violence. A friend who is Jewish thinks Israel was wrong to attack Gaza, instead of doing an investigation and executing those responsible for the teens’ deaths.

If a butterfly fluttering its wings in South America can impact what goes on elsewhere, as the expression goes, it’s time to re-think turning a blind eye to what goes on in the world.

It’s time to honor the memory of a person like K. It’s time to consider that each of us can “be the change” we want to see in the world.

I firmly believe change starts from within, like Michael Jackson sings in the lyrics to “Man in the Mirror”: if you want to change the world, you have to first change yourself.

It starts with the man or the woman in the mirror. And it’s not ever too late to make a positive change in your life. Self-improvement has a ripple effect like stones thrown in a lake.

Changing the world by changing ourselves:

It’s something to think about.

I will talk in the Flourish blog soon about a technique that could help a person change their lives.

The latest zucchini recipe I cooked was easy and I recommend it in the summer when the vegetable is plentiful at markets.

Slice in half two zucchini and scoop out the insides. Sprinkle generous grated parmesan on the zucchini. Bake in the oven at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into chunks to eat and enjoy.

I zoom in on zucchini in the summer. It’s one of the most healthful vegetable options and one of the tastiest in my estimation.

Another foolproof recipe is to cut zucchini into coins and sprinkle grated parmesan on it and saute in olive oil for about 5 to 10 minutes. You can check the vegetable’s firmness to decide how soft you want to cook it.

Voila: easy, cheesy vegetables that provide calcium, protein and vitamins.