Think back to a moment in your life that felt Surreal. How would you describe it to others? Maybe you were piloting a Bonanza without instruments, standing over the edge of a cliff in the Grand Canyon, or witnessing something transpire that could only be explained through the supernatural existence of a divine and holy …
R&D
What brand of toilet paper do you use? Do you invest in Quilted Northern or Charmin? Will any old brand suffice? To be honest, I truly do not care about your brand choices in TP. That’s private information for yourself and for the data mining companies to determine which coupons to place in your mailbox; …
Second Mile Spirit
Imagine entering a college classroom and seeing three pairs of shoes lining the middle aisle between tables—men’s hiking boots, women’s running shoes, and children’s Spiderman light-up sneakers. As the class began, I asked for students willing to demonstrate walking in these shoes. Thankfully, Angie quickly volunteered, placing her feet in the men’s boots, she used …
Unreasonable Hospitality
Do you ever have random memories from childhood pop into your head? Obviously, something triggered the back recesses of your brain, but you really aren’t sure what caused the memory to appear? At some point in the tween years, Denise and I played hotel in our Munford home, using the wood-burning stove as the front …
For Others
“How may I serve you?” If we were playing trivia, you might be tasked with connecting this phrase with a particular restaurant. Do you know which one uses this question to focus on excellent customer service, along with “My pleasure”? Many organizations use taglines, mantras, and Catchphrases (See Lesson of the Slime Mold) to unite …
Cloud of Fear
Have you ever experienced a season in your life when you were being smothered by a Cloud of Fear but couldn’t necessarily give name to the experience? You perhaps had an awareness that something was askew, just a bit out of balance, but you wouldn’t choose the word fear as a descriptor. But as the …
Backwards Thinking
The scorebook does not hold the significance it once did in the game of basketball as more emphasis today is placed on the use of video review and computerized statistics to keep track of what is happening on the floor; however, I still enjoy the duties of being the official scorer. And when you are …
Unpredictable Future
As another page is torn from the 2024 calendar symbolizing the movement towards the close of another year, I should no longer be surprised by how quickly time seems to pass. Moving into a new month, decorating for the holidays, and making entries into a crisp, new 2025 day planner, these activities trigger a time …
Put Down the Phone
It’s a sunny Saturday, the third weekend in October. The air is crisp with fall, there’s no humidity, and yet, it’s warm and comfortable. An ideal weather day, in my opinion. Where would I find a contented you? Out on the golf course, in the backyard, or at a college football game? For this sports-minded, …
Eyes Opened
Can you recall a moment in your life, where with Eyes Opened wide, you could no longer ignore some kind of truth? Perhaps someone drew your attention to the arrow in the FedEx logo for the first time and now you can’t unsee it. Or the word “mom” hidden in the shirt collar of the …