Perseverance
15Mar 2011
I am in the midst of a season of personal growth, and I really don’t like it (the present experience, at least). I react (I was going to say “hate” but that seems too strong) to speakers or writers who say, “Growth is natural. You don’t see a tree ‘trying’ to grow, do you? You just need to have the
24Feb 2011
Our political leaders have some very difficult issues to manage: Not enough tax revenue to pay for commitments made; The need to cut expenditures, with the accompanying result of displeasing (and even angering) constituents in the areas reduced; Seemingly unrealistic expectations from the general public – wanting “less government” and reduced taxes, but still wanting the same level of services provided;
24Aug 2010
I am just returning from a few days off. And it never ceases to amaze me how different people are in what constitutes a “vacation”. I think it is critical to know what rejuvenates you and to actively include these activities in your schedule. I will admit that I am not very good at taking long vacations (although I am
06Jun 2010
Recently, I went to our state high school track and field championship meet — it is a wonderful spectacle — thousands of student athletes, coaches, friends and family members in one stadium. Vibrant colors are displayed in the uniforms, supportive T-shirts and baseball caps, and tents (to keep the students out of the sun). Lots of sunshine, sunscreen and water
15Apr 2010
Traveling a few weeks ago, I was reflecting on one of the professional activities I have done for over 20 years — testing students of various ages for possible learning difficulties (ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, learning disabilities). I realized I have learned a lot of lessons from the process — interviewing parents; testing students from 5 years old through elementary school, high
09Jan 2010
Unfortunately, when the issue of “character” is in the news today, the focus is usually on character failures — lack of integrity, marital unfaithfulness, greed and dishonesty. So to be able to talk about a man of good character is a privilege. When thinking about the title of this entry, I was indecisive about whether it should be “To a
22Oct 2009
Given that I have the opportunity to interact and observe with businesses across the country, it gives me the potential to learn from those whom I serve and interact. In preparing for a presentation to a chamber of commerce luncheon, I decided to share some of the observations I have gathered over the past months. I have seen businesses who
02Sep 2009
This week my wife and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. Neither she nor I can believe we have been married that long — part of it is that we just don’t feel that “old”! (To keep the edge of reality a bit less sharp, we usually comment that we were only 12 when we got married.) But as we
09Jul 2009
I am not an economist (thankfully). But economists, meteorologists (those who try to predict the weather), and psychologists are somewhat in the same situation — our ‘sciences’ are not very “hard” — that is, they often are not solidly grounded in data and they lack power to predict. For example, last night there was no prediction at all of any
29Mar 2009
In the past weeks I have been listening to the media, reading articles that are coming out, and talking to a number of individuals who are looking for work. The level of job search ranges from high school students looking for a summer job, college graduates searching for their first full-time position in their area of study, and individuals who have