"So, how old ARE you?" This was not the first time I've been asked this. Being a young teacher, this was a common question, usually from parents who were 10-15 years older than me. Now, being self-employed and meeting new people all of the time, I find the same question is common. This happened just recently to me in two different situations. In one situation Jason and I were the youngest two by about 10-15 years, at a table for a business dinner. Of all of the questions and topics to bring up at dinner, apparently our age "made the cut." I should take it as a compliment, but the tone of …
Archives for April 2006
The Journey, Not the Destination
Kim and I are in Palo Alto this evening, the heart of Silicon Valley. Tomorrow we'll head north to Modesto for a business conference at which I'm speaking. Amidst all of the traveling and all the neat places we've been, I've discovered that the best part of it all has to do with people. …
A Priest, Armed and Dangerous
So the other day Kim and I were in Indianapolis and we came across the most childlike priest I have ever seen. I'm not sure if anyone is completely Adultitis-free, but this guy sure was as close as they come. At the beginning of his sermon, he had all of the children (probably close to 90 in all) come to the front of the church and sit on the steps near the altar. Fr. Paul's back was to the congregation as he addressed the kids. He began talking about water. Then he went off to the side of the church, temporarily hidden by the baptismal font. He emerged, to the delight of all of the children …
Moments With my Dad
The first memories I have with my Dad start when I was about three-years- old. In honor of his birthday, Monday, April 24th, I would like to share with you a special memory for each year of my life. This list reminds me how important it is to take time for the people we love. My Dad has blessed my life with so many wonderful moments and memories…and many more to come! Age 3- I sat with my Dad on the riding lawn mower and helped him cut the grass. Age 4- My first ring was given to me by my Dad. Every once in a while he would smoke a cigar and give me the paper ring, which I proudly wore on …
Hobbies
Kim and I are on the first leg of a four state, thirteen day, nine speaking engagement whirlwind. Tonight finds me in a hotel in Indianapolis. I spoke to a group of adults this morning, and about 100 teenagers this evening. Tomorrow is another group of grown-ups, followed by a family presentation. Kim and I like to play a game where she says, "Gun's to your head: where are you?" Today I passed the test with flying colors, but it might be tricky in a week. …
Candy Connoisseur
If you have an Easter basket jammed with sugary confections (sans the favorites that didn't make it past the first round), you may be wondering: which of these candies is worth the calories? Thankfully, there is a Candy Blog, written by Cybele May, which offers up in-depth reviews of hundreds of different kinds of candy. It features old classics and new creations (Have you tried the Ice Cream Skittles?) The 10-point scale deems candy as "Tasty", "Unappealing", and even "Inedible." I myself was impressed with the thoroughness of the reviews; I doubt you'll find a more authoritative guide …
Life Starring You
I'm reading a pretty good book right now by Mike Mason called The Mystery of Children, What Our Kids Teach Us About Childlike Faith. He has a passage about children and stories that really struck me: Children and stories are inseparable because children live stories. Adults tend to live in their heads, relentlessly analyzing. But children experience life directly. To children, life is a story in which they are the main character. Adults, not content to simply be characters, want to be the author of their story. Being part of a story means surrendering control, but we like to think we can …
Mushrooms
It is important to be passionate about your job. And your job should revolve around something you are passionate about. No child willingly subjects himself to spending a third of his life suffocated in an activity that he could care less about. Neither should you. Not only should businesses be staffed by a team of passionate people, they should make it a point to engage the passions of their customers, too. Kim and I were in Rochester, NY for a speaking engagement a few weeks ago. We met a chemist who had a passion for...mushrooms. In fact, he was a member of a national mushroom club. …
From Bracelets to Blankets
This week I dove into my beginner’s crochet book. After making a number of what Jason fondly referred to as “nose warmers,” I decided I was ready to try a blanket. About an hour into this I realized that I will probably be about 80 years-old when this blanket is finished. I know I will get faster but it is overwhelming at this stage in the game. …
Hey Look, it’s Spring!
With all the traveling we've done of late, it was nice to be reminded last week of why we call Madison home. As I mentioned a few posts back, Kim and I were kicking around the idea of taking a week off. (What fun is running your own business if you can't take liberties with the schedule once in a while?) We decided that last week would work perfectly. Other than updating the web site and some very limited checking of e-mail, we were completely off and unplugged. The only TV we watched was the updated version of The Ten Commandments. (Not bad, by the way.) …