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 …
The Greatest of All Time
How many Super Bowl rings does it take to become a goat? I am not referring to those four-legged cheese-making mammals with a taste for tin cans.I’m talking about the label of "GOAT" – the Greatest Of All Time.As I write this, Tom Brady recently retired after twenty-two seasons in the NFL. He was the 199th pick in the draft, yet ended up with seven Super Bowl rings and threw more touchdown passes than anyone in history. He never played on a losing team. He is widely regarded as the GOAT, at least when it comes to quarterbacks.Frankly, I’m still getting used to being labeled a “goat” as …
The Problem with Straight A’s
IKEA instructions give me the cold sweats.My dad was a carpenter, but I am not the least bit handy, unless you want me to screw in a lightbulb or put a nail in a wall to hang a photo. It took me an hour to figure out how to change the spark plug in my lawnmower last summer. Also, I currently cannot solve even the most remedial algebra equation. And I am terrible at remembering names.On the other hand, I am a talented artist. An excellent speaker. A really good writer. Pretty handy in the kitchen, too.Even though there are people who wish they were half as good as me at the things I do well, I …
Increase Your Margin for Fun
Did you used to be fun?Next time you look in the mirror, I challenge you to ask the question, “Would I want to hang out with me?”I know a lot of people who label themselves as “un-fun,” wishing it weren’t so but resigned to a monotonous stream of grown-up responsibilities, obligations, and commitments.If that describes you, take heart. I refuse to believe that you’re the boring, stick-in-the-mud fuddy-duddy you (or your favorite teenager) feel like you are sometimes. That fun-having expert with a PhD in Play is still there. The problem might simply be that you don’t have any margin for …
Be a Slingshot
We’ve been bitten. By a spider.It started when we went to see Spider-Man: No Way Home before Christmas. Which led us to watch the original Toby Maguire trilogy and we just finished Andrew Garfield’s two films. My family officially has Spider-Man fever.No matter the film, I always love the dazzling acrobatic shots of Spidey swinging through the Manhattan landscape. But there’s one move I like that I don’t remember noticing before. Basically, he uses his webs to create a slingshot, and after pulling himself back, propels himself forward in order to quickly cover more ground than …
Your Happiest Year Ever is One Habit Away
I was sitting in the backyard, reading a book, enjoying the fine summer day. All was calm. Out of nowhere appeared a whirling dervish of purple and teal. My youngest daughter came zipping around the corner on her bike, sporting an oversized helmet and a big toothy smile. The sun illuminated her light hair, making it look like a halo on fire in the golden sun. Saying not a word, she pedaled through the grass like she was on a mission – and I've no doubt she was – but with a look of contentment as if she had not one care in the world.And then, just like that, she was gone.The moment lasted all …
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Are You Missing a Surprise in Disguise?
Have you kissed a frog lately? This painting was inspired by Dig 'Em, the cartoon mascot of Honey Smacks. But it represents something deeper than a favorite Saturday morning breakfast cereal from my youth. Whether it's a beautiful princess or a handsome prince disguised as a slimy wart-ridden amphibian, frogs often find themselves in fairy tales as hidden forms of something else.Fairy tales aren't real, but sometimes real life does mimic them.For example, do you know someone in your life you weren't very fond of when you first met? When I was in Little League, Scott D. was the best player …
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The Secret Lives of Problems
What if your biggest problem isn't a problem at all? I love watching otters do meal prep.They float on their back as they work to open an oyster for lunch. They put off a nonchalant vibe, like they're nursing a margarita on an inflatable raft in a pool at an all-inclusive resort. They have the cool confidence of Vanilla Ice, who famously rapped, "If there was a problem yo, I'll solve it."The situation is actually a matter of life and death because if they don't eat, they don't last long. But of course, they are well suited for the task, so their body language gives away the fact there's …