We're in the throes of Halloween Unleashed, our 7th officially-sanctioned Small Rebellion. Your challenge is to wear a costume somewhere unexpected, just for fun. But it can also be for a good cause, too. Elaine Hand loves dressing up in costume. She was in a full-fledged witch costume at a recent speaking program I had in Illinois! (Maybe it's in her blood; her mother was born on Halloween :) The thing that makes her a Champion of Childhood in our book is that she wears costumes all year long! Here's how it started, in Elaine's own words: …
Archives for October 2013
My Humble Take On The Hot Halloween Debate
The hot debate in school districts around the country is whether to "Halloween" or not. When I was in school 30 years ago, every class had a Halloween party and the younger kids got to dress up and partake in a Halloween parade throughout the school, which was a super fun treat for everyone. One teacher even had the unique tradition of making homemade donuts in class, complete with sprinkles. It was an awesome time of year. Fun for the sake of fun! Halloween was not so fun for me, though. To be honest, the stress and anxiety started each year about October 1st when the costumes started …
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You Know What’s Really Scary?
Halloween is that magical time of year when we enjoy getting the snot scared out of us. We attend haunted houses, watch horror movies, and dress up in horrifying costumes. But do you know what I think is REALLY scary? Zombified children. Like the one in Pet Sematary. Those are pretty scary. But not as scary as these things: The thought of getting to the end of my life and realizing how much time I spent on stuff that didn't matter. Not just the administrivia of life, but all the effort to keep up appearances by trying to impress people who don't matter. Comparing myself to others. …
Using Social Media for the Good of Your Soul
This is a guest post by our friend, Ryan McRae. Ryan has a wicked sense of humor and a neat way of looking at things. You can find him at ryanmcrae.net, where you must check out his Man Card. Right now, the internet is blazing with how social media actually disconnects us; we spend too much time on it and we are always looking at our phones, etc. And trust me, I get it and I'm the most guilty person on the planet. But there is a way to use social media for the good of our souls instead of cluttering our lives. …
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The Pediatrician with Dozens of Fake IDs
Ellen Leonard is an amazing pediatrician from Connecticut. She is also a Champion of Childhood. It would seem that of all of the world's professions, "pediatrician" would be near the top of the list when it comes to those that are most conducive to wearing Halloween costumes at work. Ellen does every year. While she's not the only person who does, it strikes me that at the hospital she's worked for over 26 years, she is in the minority. Even more notable is the effort she puts into her costumes. She's pictured above dressed as the Man with the Yellow Hat from Curious George. The pants, …
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Small Rebellion #7: Halloween Unleashed
Halloween is exciting for kids and adults, too; Dressing in costume: a thing we all love to do. But why settle for parties or just Trick or Treat? What if you wore one when you went out to eat? Perhaps shopping for groceries or driving car pool; Or serving on jury duty would even be cool. Or maybe while getting your vision corrected; Just wear your costume somewhere unexpected. Adultitis won't like it and people might stare; The rebellion is knowing that you just don't care. Halloween is the best. I love that it's free of the obligatory gift-buying and mountains of stress …
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Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend the 2014 Escape Adulthood Summit
Last year's Escape Adulthood Summit was really something special. Over 40 like-minded individuals from 8 different states came together in Madison for a life-changing weekend of fun, inspiration, and magic. It was, in a word, awesome. This year, our goal is to make it awesomer. There are 65 Golden Tickets available, but well over half are already gone, most claimed by people who've attended a previous Summit. Here are 10 reasons why you should consider joining their ranks: …
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Poor Monday
Monday wishes he was Wednesday. He has giant posters of Saturday on his bedroom wall. Everybody turns the other way when they see Monday walking down the hall. Poor Monday. I used to suffer from a condition known as Sunday Night Dread, that sinking feeling you get when the freedom of the weekend is gasping its last breath. I used to think Monday was the worst. And then I realized that Monday is just a patsy. It's convenient to throw Monday under the bus when we're unhappy about how our story is going. I propose that we quit picking on Monday and try a different tack. Here are a …
How to Win the War Against Adultitis at Work
We are in a war against Adultitis. And putting googly eyes on inanimate objects, decorating your cube for Halloween, and making ugly cakes for co-workers are some of the weapons we have on our side. Too bad some people prefer keeping them locked away. I spoke at a conference for 9-1-1 dispatchers recently. Afterwards, a woman told me about what a drag it is working at her dispatch center. "It didn't used to be that way," she said sadly. "We used to keep toys at our work stations and had a lot of fun decorating our offices for every holiday. But our new boss doesn't allow it. He …
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