Why is transparency within the realm of all types of communication—friend-friend, parent-child, husband-wife, manager-employee—so consistently elusive? Why must the ego so quickly approach the greasy fast-fed drive-thru that values expediency and quick profit over healthy dialogue? Why do so many start with perfection as the baseline, from which there is no room to breathe?
Archive for tag: perspective
From the managing editor…
How easy to take for granted…
…the hundreds of thousands of people—men and women with lives, loves and labors—are responsible for that cardboard carton carrying everything from beer and books to papers and paraphernalia.
From the managing editor…
For so many teenagers, it’s simply not an option. Their grades must be exemplary. Their SAT and ACT scores must be in one of those coveted eat-sleep-and-drink percentiles. Their college applications must be loaded with everything from athletics to community involvement.
From the managing editor…
It’s a very safe bet that everyone reading this has either directly had the following experience or knows someone who has—spouse, child, friend, relative or colleague:
From the managing editor…
The latter part of September perpetually hosts the first day of fall—a time of moderating weather, heavier work schedules and looking ahead. During one’s teens, 20s and even 30s, this annual period typically seems full of hours and days, its farewell comfortably in the distance. Yet into the 40s and 50s, those selfsame hours appear ever briefer, ever more precious. As much as the numbers themselves do not change, our perception of them moves ever faster.
Savoring the anticipation
One of the most striking and moving aspects, for me, when reading the beautiful book a picture is worth... (Arch Street Press) is getting to hear the unfiltered voices and perspectives of these young adults, smack in the middle of growing up. They write with insightful reflection about their pasts, and their words ache with excitement for the future when they share their goals and dreams -- graduating high school, attending college, having a family and home of their own.
From the managing editor…
Why is it that ‘discipline’ so often seems like little more than 2½ four-letter words? Or the rebuke of stern punishment? Or behavior as tightly controlled as a bank teller’s drawer? Why is it that typing this singular word into a Google search yields an overwhelming number of articles about disciplining children? Why is it that self-discipline more often than not evokes giving up statin-inducing cheesecake and excessive beer and lazy workdays?
Non-performance anxiety
I just returned from a wonderful family vacation in Maine and am in the midst of post-vacation bliss. The serenity of the landscapes at Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island provided for a much-needed escape from a challenging year and the endless pressures of modern life. With little access to the internet and no cell phone signal, there was no choice but to unplug. It was as marvelous as it sounds.
key perspectives: fresh produce
One’s mental and physical outlook has incalculable benefits upon productivity and creativity. So that knowledge and $5 will get you...
key perspectives: picture frame
Do you have a clear plan about where you’re going? Picture your ideal job; what does it look like? What...