How will YOU change the world?
“Let this be the year that you change the world.” These are the words that were going through my mind when I woke up on Christmas morning. This is something that happens every once in a while – I wake up in the morning, and by the time I’m fully conscious, which is just a second or two later, I realize that there’s a phrase or sentence repeating itself in my brain. Sometimes it’s a line from a song, and [...]
First response to New Year’s Resolution
My New Year’s Resolution for 2012 is to become a First Responder. This doesn’t mean I’m going to train to be a police officer, fire fighter, or EMT – the people equipped to be the first ones on the scene of an accident or other emergency. Instead it means I’m going to train myself to get in the habit of responding immediately when I get an invitation, request, or a question from someone in person, by mail, or by email. [...]
“Peace on Earth” has a new meaning now
I received a number of comments on last week’s column about my trip to Duluth for a Toastmasters presentation the previous weekend. Some people mentioned their own visits to – or memories of –Duluth, including someone who recommended that I visit the aquarium the next time I’m in Duluth, if I haven’t already done so. I haven’t, but will make a point of it the next time I go. Others commented – and eloquently so – on Lake Superior, in [...]
Magic and majesty in a trip to Duluth
I was in Duluth last weekend for a presentation at a Toastmasters educational/training event. Two friends came with me, partly because they wanted to hear me speak and partly for moral support and for a bit of a girls’ weekend. It was late on Friday afternoon when we got to Duluth. For several miles, I had been admiring and commenting on the bright, full moon in the crisp, clear sky. As we reached the edge of Lake Superior, the time [...]
When friends and moms get together
I had coffee last weekend with a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. We first met each other at a Toastmasters event years ago, and found we had a lot in common. We used to see each other pretty regularly, then our schedules, work and timetables shifted. We still touched base from time to time, but until last weekend I hadn’t seen her in ages. You can probably guess how the next part of this goes. After a [...]
A hope and a plea for happy holidays
You don’t say Happy Birthday to others when it’s your birthday. You wish them a Happy Birthday when the birthday is theirs. And you don’t tell someone Happy Anniversary on the date of your own wedding anniversary, unless the person you’re saying it to happens to be your spouse. I bring this up with the hope of diffusing what I see as a dangerous and ugly holiday tradition. And we’ve had plenty of those over the years. The most recent [...]