A few years back, I dared my student community in the Institute for Cultural Communicators to a 30 day speaking challenge. This past week, I participated in a 7-day writing challenge. The results then and now have been fun and exciting, especially when the challenge connects to a vital real-world skill and personal growth. Here are my three takeaways from the best of a challenge: Challenges catalyze growth The only way to grow is to…
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My brother Jim’s mother died when he was a toddler. His life was topsy-turvy. Jim describes his teen years as stealing cigarettes from our parent’s room, sneaking off with his friends to drink alcohol, and getting into trouble with school. Jim joined the Air Force. At the risk that further misconduct involving illegal drugs would result in a bad conduct discharge, my father flew down to Texas, where Jim was stationed, and appealed to Jim’s…
1 CommentI had only been out of the room for a few minutes taking care of something in another part of the house. When I walked back into our wood-paneled family room, there was a track meet going on. The event was hurdling, and the 3-month-old baby on his blanket was the hurdle! I watched dumbstruck as my 5, 4, and 3-year old each took off in a sprint from one corner, leaped over the baby,…
1 CommentI read constantly. Not everything I read sticks. Decades ago, I read these paradoxical commandments. They resonated so much that I made these designs to anchor them in my memory. As we all seek to recover from this past year, may these paradoxical commandments guide you in making meaning of crazy and confusing times. What’s your favorite commandment? More information about these paradoxical commandments written by Dr. Kent Keith can be found here.
1 CommentI found myself in an annoying state of hunger. I had a decent lunch, so I was confused by the stomach pangs. I stood in the kitchen, looking all around, asking myself, what do I want? I walked around the kitchen island like the cat poking at every cupboard door, looking for something to satisfy my appetite. I cooked some popcorn, but it was either too old, or I had cooked it too long. The…
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I live in the neighborhood I grew up in as a child. Many of my neighbors moved here when my parents lived in this house on Homewood Road. The Wards, the Kushners, the Hanlons, and the Kiorpes, knew my parents well. They knew me too. Several of these neighbors have gotten to see my children grow up also. It has been 20 years since we moved into the neighborhood. Recently on my walks around the…
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