A Peace of My Mind

In the autumn of 1990, Karen and I were in Europe. It was a three month no-frills backpacking tour and most of our entertainment consisted of wandering the streets and countryside and people watching. Tickets to just about anything were out of our budget. But in Prague, we made an exception. There was an evening concert by an Iranian folk ensemble. At the time, the United States was still reeling from the hostage crisis. The 52 American hostages in Tehran […]

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Some things are hard to measure. Many of the best things in life are difficult to quantify. Happiness. A sense of belonging. Faith. Love. We try. We measure things in dollars and followers and statistics. But when it comes to things of intrinsic value, those numbers often fall short. In my 2010 interview with Marion Vance for my first book, she explained that we need a better measuring stick. “The tendency is to try to put a number on everything, and […]

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I am revisiting this interview with Harry Williams, Jr. from February 19, 2010. Harry was and is the Laird Bell Professor of History at Carleton College. Among the courses he teaches are “African American History,” “Black Atlantic History,” which focuses on the relationship between Ghana and the United States, and “U.S. History from 1865-1945.” Harry views the world from what he calls a “tragic conception of history and a tragic conception of life, ” which means -— in his words […]

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Sometimes life moves so quickly that we don’t have time to adequately process the events of the day. I’m reminded of wading into rough surf to try to bob in the waves. It’s all fun and games until you find yourself off balance. Before you can even regain your footing another wave washes over you and suddenly it’s all you can do to keep your head above water. This fall has been a little like that. So many good things, […]

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Brandon Bright works at MPACT- DFW in Fort Worth, Texas, an organization that educates and offers services around HIV and sexual health for men of color in the community. Brandon was diagnosed with HIV in 2009 and he has used his experience to help connect others to services that can help demystify issues around HIV and provide resources that can lead to a long and healthy life. “Every day in some shape, form or fashion, I’m reminded of where I […]

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Earlier this month I got to visit HopeWorks Station in Everett, Washington.  An innovative housing project in Snohomish County, it holds the possibility of a permanent solution for some of the people experiencing homelessness in the area. A few interesting facts about HopeWorks Station: -65 affordable housing units from 300-453 square feet -focused on serving veterans, youth and families -all units face inward to a common courtyard to encourage creating community -a building that gives more than it takes… 532 […]

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I was able to spend time with middle school students last week, supporting the school’s efforts to cultivate each individuals sense that they could be a source of strength for themselves and others. I was reminded of Mel Duncan’s quote that “We struggle with a shrunken notion of our own ability. We have the ability to bring substantial change and often we don’t own that. We are afraid of that.” In fact, we can do big things. We can encourage […]

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These trips have a been a whirlwind. Nairobi, Kenya in August. Lima, Peru in September. We’re headed to Bangkok in November. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to partner with Good Deeds Day and to see some of the positive work they encourage and support around the world. To borrow a phrase from their website, “Good Deeds Day is a global day that unites people from 108 countries to do good deeds for the benefit of others and the planet.” Not bad […]

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Last week I was grateful to be a part of Title V activities that honored Adams State University’s history as a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2000. We installed our American Stories exhibit, I visited classrooms and led programming. As a part of the week’s engagement, the Title V office wanted to encourage more conversations about race and bridge building. We set up a studio and asked, “What is the unique opportunity or challenge around talking about race at this moment […]

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It’s become one of my favorite places. For the past five years, I have been a part of the teaching staff at Holden Village, a retreat center tucked into a remote valley in the Washington Cascades. The journey to Holden is an adventure. You ride a boat 20 miles up a wilderness lake, climb aboard an old school bus for an 11-mile drive up a winding gravel road and eventually arrive at an old copper mining camp that was sold […]

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