When is the last time you made something with your hands? Better yet, when is the last time you valued something that you made with your hands? We live in a world of mass production, of products churned out on … Continue reading
“What is your favorite color? Your favorite food? Your favorite animal?” Children ask these questions incessantly (as do social media quizzes, but the latter are mining information for advertisers). It’s difficult to explain to seven-year-olds that while you may like … Continue reading
“That’s not me, is it?” Most of us are surprised, not necessarily pleasantly, when we unexpectedly catch sight of ourselves in a shop window, mirror, or, nowadays, tagged in a Facebook post. We always look older, wider, sloppier, more stooped, … Continue reading
Just because you’re quiet doesn’t mean that you don’t have much to say. The noisy people won’t hear, generally because they’re not listening. Continue reading
By what age do we stop believing in six impossible things before breakfast? I’m not sure, but I do know that too many of us have not only stopped believing in, and reaching for, impossible things. We also give up … Continue reading
Most ordinary people feel as if we have no power. I’m not talking the “calm the wind and the waves” and “heal the blind” sort of power. Even the most delusional of earth’s mighty men and women know that they … Continue reading
Every human being is unique, different, and distinctive. The imaginary world of movies pretends to celebrate this fact, and maverick protagonists are popular. But their problems aren’t our problems, and their issues are rarely if ever solved in a realistic, … Continue reading
The words “please” and “thank you” are great equalizers. When we use them, we’re saying to another person, “I am asking you to do something as a favor to me, and I am grateful for your willingness to do it.” … Continue reading
It’s amazing — and sad — how little we trust our own judgment. Of course, it’s not unusual. We’ve been trained since childhood to listen to the teacher, follow the pastor, accede to the dictates of the doctor, nod at … Continue reading
Waiting is something that few, if any, people do well. “I’m just impatient,” some say, as if that were unusual and distinctive. It’s along the lines of announcing, “I like to travel and do fun things,” or, “I sure do … Continue reading
