Category: Culture
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Mr. Royal Oak: Are you okay with the orange cosmos?
There has been a patch of orange cosmos at 4th and Wilson in Royal Oak for the last seven or eight years. It’s nothing huge, just an extension to the larger bed in the boulevard, near the happy-hand-stand soldier statue. The first year I planted, I cleared away a rusty pile of scrap iron to…
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Current Influences on My Livelihood
Naturally, you try to improve your livelihood. I try to improve mine for myself, and to be better with the people I mentor. The dynamic women I mention below are influences that can help anybody. Your livelihood sustains you and makes you whole. It’s your effort to get basics like food and shelter, plus whatever…
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Mister Rodgers – A Favorite Better Angel
Mister Rodgers took his natural innate skills and made them an art. He made a generational difference, positively touching people, even society overall. Now, in our political and health chaos, we benefit from remembering what Rodgers taught us. There is always something proper and constructive that can be done with our feelings. Hence, we are…
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“Daring Greatly”, by Brene Brown
Daring Greatly is a bestseller that helps people gain practical insights on how to be themselves. It’s categorized as self-help. However, the help available via Daring Greatly is based on being connected with others. The concepts are applicable across personal and social contexts. I broke a house rule because of Daring Greatly. I could not…
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The Power of Vulnerability
Most people don’t readily see the power of vulnerability. But powerful it is. Vulnerability is not weakness. Indiviudally and collectively, we need to better understand and accept this emotional exposure. Illustration by Peter Wehrman. “To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength. Crissi Jami At…
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When the Going Gets Tough
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That’s what Jimmy “Doc” Lee said to Pekin, Illinois high school classes in the sixties and early 1970s. He was the loved and respected athletic trainer. His lessons influenced many of the small town youth in the American way. The simple message still resonates today. Another…