Done With Lesser Things?
Aren’t you done with triviality by now? There’s little time to waste on cute memes with shallow phrases. The business we are in is not to be dominated by busy-ness or busybodies. We have opportunities in abundance to do more than turn a profit. We can set the fulcrum where it needs to be, and […]
A Diamond in the Rough
I began my teaching life working with native Spanish speaking students learning English as a second language. I had a wonderful experience in class one day when Jose came up to me to show me a paper folding project he had done at home. What he showed me not only brought sudden surprise to me, […]
On The Brink Of A New Year
All I know to say is that I’m excited about this year’s prospects. More than I have been for quite sometime. Of course there is plenty for me to worry about, if I choose to. But I don’t choose to. Why? For thousands of reasons I don’t need to list for the true optimists out […]
Influence of a Forward-Looking Teacher
In the Fall of 1977, I received the American Farmer Degree at the annual Future Farmers of America Convention. That would have never happened if one forward-looking teacher hadn’t sent his best student representatives to my junior high school to recruit me in 1972. Mr. John Silvia, my high school Agriculture Science teacher, influenced a […]
Let’s Create A World Of Good!
It’s a slogan that helps me keep moving forward in the midst of countless setbacks. Whatever good we create is always at risk. It’s not hard to see this. History is loaded with one catastrophe after another. At the same time, it’s filled with some of the most glorious acts of kindness and good that […]
Notice What’s Near
“Do the work that is nearest, Though it’s dull at whiles, Helping, when we meet them, Lame dogs over stiles.” – Charles Kingsley – It’s an obsolete idiom. But I can’t think of a better metaphor that speaks of kind work than helping someone or some animal in distress, getting them to a greener field […]
Lead With Love
Lead with Love. Will it hurt if you do? It sure as hell will. Leading hurts. Leading is painful. Leading is lonely. Loving is costly. Lead with Love.