His name was Joel, but I called him Mr. Dawson. He was one of the best leaders I’ve ever known.On the surface, Mr. Dawson was just a regular guy who coached youth baseball. But he was kind, humble, and strong, albeit not in the "benchpress dump trucks" sort of way. A rare autoimmune disease took several fingers on one hand. But he was able to balance a baseball with it while holding a bat with his other hand. During practice, he'd carefully toss the ball upwards and whack it with the bat in the direction of a fielder.When I played Little League, he managed an opposing team, but his vote helped …
Always Stop at the Lemonade Stand
I grabbed my keys and slammed the door as hard as I could. I got in the car and headed out of our neighborhood. I may or may not have screamed some choice obscenities as loud as I could, hoping it might exorcise the anger that was overflowing within me. What drove me into this state of rage?Just the realization that I'd forgotten to buy one of the main ingredients for that evening's dinner.A small thing in the grand scheme, and I am normally as mild-mannered as they come, but this tipping point was the latest in a long line of assaults from Adultitis. I'd had a terrible, horrible, no good, …
Whimsy is the Way
Do you ever feel lost?It seems like an absurd question when we all have smartphones offering turn-by-turn directions to anywhere we want to go. But having access to all the paths isn't the same as knowing which one to take. What happens when none of the paths you've tried have led to where you want to go? What do you do when you know where you are now isn't where you want to be, but none of the roads before you seem quite right? What then?Perhaps the best place to begin is with those little bits of colored whimsy people sprinkle on ice cream sundaes. Indeed, it's as good a starting place …
Based on True Events
Sometimes you'll see a message at the beginning of a movie letting you know it was "based on true events." There's something dramatic about it because it's exhilarating to watch an amazing story that wasn't just imagined, but really happened. At least part of it. You see, I'm always skeptical of that claim because I feel they're being intentionally vague. It makes me wonder, what parts are the true parts? How much of it is factual? Half? Thirty-three percent? One percent? Did they leave out important details? Or exaggerate stuff for the sake of a better story? Did they shorten the …
Is Life Giving You a Better Offer?
My mind whirred to life, like a computer booting up from sleep. I was awake, but my eyes remained closed. After a momentary delay, my ears tuned in to the hushed symphony of rainfall. Not a storm, not a weak drizzle, but the sustained sound of polite applause. Bliss.My mind turned its focus to the day ahead. My Monday morning to-do list was waiting, and my brain divided against itself. “It’s important to start the week off strong. If you give in at the start, the rest of your plans have no chance,” said one side.The other half calmly responded, “Mornings like these don’t come along very often. …
Why “Ugly or Beautiful?” is a Trick Question
One day Kim wrote a social media post about how ugly our backyard is after having been ravaged by a cataclysmic storm. The harsh, violent, apocalyptic hellscape is heartbreaking. And very, very ugly. A well-intentioned commenter felt the need to correct her, "No, it's beautiful." Of course, the commenter is right. It is beautiful, in many real and metaphorical ways. And the photos Kim has taken of the carnage have captured some of that beauty. But you know what? It’s also ugly. Especially in comparison to what it was before. It can be both. It is both. And that's ok. As …
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Life Keeps Going
I woke up. The face of my bedside clock was expressionless. Still no power. It felt like time was standing still, but I knew otherwise. A quick check of my phone, whose battery was holding on for dear life, confirmed that I'd been asleep for exactly one hour. I was awake, but unfortunately, the nightmare persisted. It was 1:30 am, but no more sleep would be had by me that night. Eerie lightning flashes periodically silhouetted the stripped and broken trees rising from the backyard like a witch's bony fingers. It's an image I'll never forget. I had to leave for the airport …
Extraordinary Enthusiasm
My family recently watched a movie about a woman with a most unusual passion. In scene after scene, we watched her laugh, jump for joy, and clap like a giddy child every time she encountered the object of her affection: sharks. Playing with Sharks is a documentary about the life and passion of Valerie Taylor. The most gripping aspect of the film was the unfiltered joy that burst forth from her spirit whenever she encountered her favorite fish. When she talked about them, if you didn't know any better, you'd think she was describing an adorable corgi greeting you at the door with a wagging …
My Secret to Being So Persistent
My parents recently hosted us for a birthday dinner. In Kim's card, my Dad had written something about us being the most persistent people he knew. Kim smiled, because we know how close a cousin "persistent" is to "stubborn," which is a synonym for "unreasonable," "pig-headed," and "cantankerous."But we took it for the compliment it was intended to be.Persistence, stubbornness, an abundance of sticktoitiveness...whatever you want to call it, we definitely have it.It's what allowed us to keep going for twenty years before making it to our dream home on Lake Michigan. We endured years of …
Curating a Life
I took my kids to the art museum the other day. It had an exhibit going featuring artwork by local students, from kindergarten up to high school. Afterward, we checked out the other exhibits from the more experienced, grown-up artists.I liked the stuff from the kids better.It got me thinking about the role a museum curator plays. A quick Google search explains that he or she acquires, cares for, and develops a collection. They also arrange displays of collected and loaned works and interpret the collection in order to inform, educate, and inspire the public.I wonder how they decide what …