Category: Reflections

I couldn’t care less. Ever heard that? Ever said it? There’s a conversation. Someone’s passionate about a topic and some cynic reacts dismissively, “I couldn’t care less.” Seems like there’s a lot of I-couldn’t-care-less around lately. Unless the issue is right in our faces and impacts us directly and personally, it’s awfully tempting to turn […]

The time is always right to do what is right. ~MLK When planning the 1963 March on Washington, President Kennedy met with Dr. King and expressed concern that the event was perhaps “ill-timed.” Dr King responded, “Frankly, I have never engaged in any direct-action movement that did not seem ill-timed.” + + + Each year […]

Last time I talked about beginning with a question. “How can I be helpful?” seems like a good place to start. Maybe I’ll add a couple of others. This one comes from the reflections of my friend Jon Swanson. Jon’s a hospital chaplain who tries by example to help us learn to be a bit […]

I’m starting 2022 with a question. Instead of a resolutions or goals, this old teacher prefers long-term, open questions that challenge me and guide my thinking. So I’ll begin 2022 by reminding myself of a question. “How can I be helpful?” It’s a difficult question for me, because this wheelchair guy often feels helpless. I […]

I’m falling back into an old bad habit. There’s no doubt – we’re surrounded right now by negativity. COVID, political divisions, racial tension. Add the work we do with human trafficking, the constant awareness of evil and injustice – it’s sort of taken over my awareness. I’ve surrendered my agency, allowed this sense of foreboding […]

It’s the week for Thank You. Becky and I will be traveling on the big day. No feast. No football. Just us, the road, and whatever fast food is available. No Thanksgiving, I guess. Or maybe it’s not about a holiday. President Lincoln proclaimed the first National Day Of Thanksgiving in 1863. Immersed in the […]

Words matter. They matter a lot in school. Even in math classes, I tried to impress on students the importance of using words correctly while avoiding excessive sarcasm and trying not to become the frumpy grammar police. For example, they insisted supposably was a real word when they meant supposedly. They also used irregardless rather […]