Why I don’t swear

A couple of friends recently remarked about how they never hear me swear (you know… the F-bomb, S-bomb, A-hole… words that so many use to punctuate their moments of extreme anger, frustration or joy.) I don’t judge anyone else for saying whatever they want to say, but I’m feeling the need to explain why I…

In Vulnerabillity

I never really identified with Superman. I loved Marvel’s universe of heroes instead because they had flaws and real problems that I could relate to. Superman was super everything, with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal boys like me. You could weaken him with Kryptonite, but come on… those space rocks just weren’t…

Walls and bridges

Whether a wall is built to keep someone in or keep someone out, it is absolutely built to keep people apart. And the longer the wall stands, the easier it is to forget who’s on the other side. Bridges are built to connect… to provide a way for people to come together. However, it’s not enough…

Play nice

You heard it from both parents and playground supervisors, “Play nice!” This was often followed by, “If you don’t, no one will want to play with you.” You got this warning not because someone else took your ball or called you a poo poo head. You got this warning because of the way you reacted.…

No decision IS a decision

Elderly guidance counselor Eloise Warren looked at me across her long desk through impossibly long eyelashes and said, “It’s time to declare a major.” I had selected the no-pressure “Undecided” for my entire freshman year at Purdue and was getting almost straight A’s. I was succeeding at Undecided! Now she was pushing me to declare my…

Time for a toast

I witnessed an amazing inspirational speech contest this morning at Tracy Toastmasters. I volunteered to be the emcee, which allowed me to really enjoy the speeches without being a judge or contestant. This contest has been an annual activity and one of the greatest catalysts for growth for me in recent history. I decided not…