Category: Reflections

I met a new friend last week. He stopped to help after I took a bit of a tumble while avoiding a careless driver. The details aren’t important. What matters is the conversation that happened while we waited for reinforcements. + + + First, a small chuckle. Jerry’s a volunteer firefighter. When he helped me […]

Ten days in a spot with no internet. Can’t recall the last time my computer – and my brain – rested that long. Still had a cell connection, but it was a wonderful stretch with time for input without much demand for output. I think that’s the most important thing I learned from our trip…I […]

Neurosurgeons aren’t known for their warm bedside manner. In the weeks after my injury, I was desperate for a definitive prognosis. Nurses and therapists offered a lot of “keep trying, anything’s possible.” I just wanted someone to tell me the outcome. I liked my doc. Gruff, matter-of fact, cared a lot but didn’t spend time […]

It’s gotten a bad rap lately. Quid pro quo might be an a form of blackmail. I’ll withhold this thing you want – or need – unless you do as I wish. Often it’s not-so-subtle manipulation, Godfather-style. I did you a favor, now you owe me. Do that enough, strategically, and one can accumulate a […]

Becky put up some outdoor Christmas lights this weekend. Not a big deal for most folks. But this weekend was also the 33rd anniversary of the day I met two paramedics following a 10-foot fall – while installing outdoor Christmas lights. This time our neighbor helped. Everyone kept their feet on the ground. We’re not […]

A few weeks back, I made a commitment to listen. It was clear to me that there were voices and ideas I didn’t completely understand. I wanted to know, as much as it’s possible, what it’s like to see the world from a perspective different than my own. The only way to accomplish that is […]

These words haunt me. None of us can know how we’ll be remembered. I pray for wisdom, because I do not want to be remembered as a silent friend. “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.Not to speak is to speak.Not to act is to act.” ― Dietrich […]

Last time I talked about my vineyard. I traced a personal response to Jesus’ story about a vineyard owner. It’s the way Americans tend to view most lessons, because we’re an individual-oriented culture. As I learn more about Jesus, I’m not sure it’s the best perspective. He spoke frequently in the context of community. The […]

Principles written on paper aren’t worth much. Unless, of course, they’re backed up with action. High-sounding honor codes mean nothing if they’re not reflected in tough choices. It’s the behavior that’s matters. I’ve told you before that in later years my classroom operated on a single principle: Everyone (including the teacher) gets treated with dignity […]