His name was Ed and he liked to talk. The administrator down the hall was one of those guys. He had a story for every situation. He’d been everywhere. He’d done everything. Ed had driven trucks for 12 years. He ran a pool hall for six years. He served as a hunting outfitter for four years and had been in his current job for 21 years. When I did the math, he was well north of 80 years old —... Read more
How do you gain respect in your workplace? Leave a comment here. Sports fan or not, if you want to be respected, this post is for you. The big news in the sporting world is that Quarterback Tim Tebow led an unlikely charge of the Denver Broncos into the second round of the playoffs. They lost to the Patriots, but there’s more to the story. Image by Jeffrey Beall via Flickr Tebow was a Heisman Trophy winner and led the University of Florida... Read more
I remember the impact of that one e-mail I sent. I added a snarky comment about the boss — it was funny, but terribly wrong. As soon as I hit “send”, I wish I could have taken it back. There was the time I picked my teenage son up and “strongly encouraged” him out the door to do a chore. He had been shuffling, dawdling, delaying the inevitable and I gave him a push and he tripped on the way... Read more
I finally did it. That one box in the garage that has been tightly sealed for years is now gone. I was keeping it because I thought the contents had value, either real or just sentimental. After I went through it with a realistic and open mind, I shipped most of it off to goodwill. I have no regrets. I suspect you are a little like me. Getting rid of things isn’t always easy. I’m not like those unbelievable people on... Read more
The High Calling is a wonderful resource for those who seek to integrate their faith into the every day. Each week, there are articles on culture, family, leadership and work. I’m honored to be on staff, editing the weekly newsletter and submitting occasional articles. This week, Sandra Sims is featuring a series of “best of 2011” articles, culling from hundreds of articles last year. So far, she have featured the Best of Books, the Best of Leadership, the Best of... Read more
I have a lifetime of snapshots. Some are on paper, printed on shiny stock and filed away in envelopes. Some are just left on my computer. But most are in my mind, memories of where I’ve been, what I’ve done. W With time, some of them fade. Others, I cannot shake. Some I wish I could remember just a little clearer. We went to Disneyland when I was a boy, but the only thing i can recall is standing at... Read more
This is a bad week to be a trash man. Wikipedia I survey the bags of crumbled Christmas wrapping, the empty computer and television cartons, and the black bags containing the remains of the big dinner piled along the streets. Each morning, the collectors clock in, get their assignments, and then grab the keys to their vehicles. They start them up and rumble out of the yard, one by one, fanning out across the city. At some point, these trucks will fill... Read more
What’s not to love about the GPS? With millions of miles of roads, attractions, gas stations and destinations, there’s no reason to buy a map ever again. Piggybacking off military satellites, American companies have found ways to tap into the invisible beam to help a whole world of humans find their way. And still, we are lost. Oh sure, we know how many miles it is from Greenville to Columbus, but we don’t know how to find our way to reconciliation.... Read more
One of my favorite Christmas songs is I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, taken from a poem penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem was written in the middle of America’s Civil War — and the despair engulfed the nation. It was a time of personal despair for Longfellow. His wife had died tragically. After trimming hair from her seven-year old’s head, she decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. Melting a bar of sealing wax with a... Read more
“Free Hugs, ” they shouted as they strolled the downtown walking mall. “Free Hugs for everyone.” The high school girls and boys walked right up to people and give a hug and a blessing. I watched stiff businessmen bristle, then smile. I saw homeless people, who so yearn for human touch, pull away, then lean into their charm. I saw an entire block change because of the free joy from eight young people. I could have crossed over to the... Read more
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