A while back, my bride was awarded a “five-year plaque” at work—and she was miffed. Public recognition for five years of work is supposed to be a good thing. Causing angst wasn’t the intention. The goal of the award was to make her feel appreciated, to give her a reason to feel good about her job […]
When I went to my bank last week, there was a commotion at the car wash next door. A number of trucks were parked haphazardly around the building and a couple of fire trucks were along side. The folks at the bank confirmed there had been a fire. Apparently, someone had carelessly flung a cigarette. […]
The recent issue of Sojourners magazine cited some sobering facts about the state of the prison system in the United States: 7.4 million people were under the control of the US criminal justice system in 2007. I’m not exactly sure what is meant by “under control,” but that is over 2 percent of the population, […]
I don’t know if you’re like me, but I have a favorite pen. And I am quite attached to her. Although I have a couple dozen in my desk drawer, I only have one on my desk—my favorite—her. I know that you’re not supposed to have favorites, because it can really mess up the other […]