Gina Laff was born in Paraguay and at the age of one she was adopted by a couple living on the north side of Chicago. Her father has struggled with health issues since Gina was very young. He holds Gina to a high standard and she describes him as a stubborn old man who worries about her generation. At first, the frustration of this dynamic … Continue reading Gina Laff
Last year I taught a 2-day retreat at Prairie Oaks Institute with musician Neal Hagberg and facilitator Chris Johnson. It was a pilot of sorts and we weren’t sure what to expect as 15 strangers gathered in the comfortable space together. As we found our rhythm, the result was rich conversation and positive reviews. In fact, the main comment we heard as people headed toward … Continue reading Retreat repeat
I’m excited to announce a new website for A Peace of My Mind. It’s amazing what long days at the kitchen table with a laptop and a pot of coffee can do. Oh…and a crowd of WordPress Happiness Engineers on the other end of a chat line. Most of the bugs seem to be worked out, so it’s ready for viewing. (That being said, I’m … Continue reading Something new
Sometimes people touch us for just a brief time, but make a lasting impact on our lives. Some of my best friends live far away. We might not talk often, but I carry them with me through my days, and it does my heart good to simply know they are in the world. I stay in touch with several of the people I have interviewed … Continue reading Gone, but still with us
Last week was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and on Monday I spoke to 250 educators from the Lakeville School District about A Peace of My Mind and using storytelling to build understanding and community. The exhibit was installed at the Lakeville high school media centers and many teachers brought their classes to engage in different ways. An art teacher had her class sketch the portraits that they were … Continue reading Another Point of View
The last story has been recorded. The final portrait has been made. A Peace of My Mind: American Stories has been heard. Now it must be told. In a perfect world, I would have edited these stories along the way. But this is not a perfect world. There are 90 interviews waiting to be edited (the binder you see in the photo is about 1/3 of … Continue reading 40,000 miles for peace
To my Muslim friends who are being asked to reassure us that you are not “one of them”…allow me a moment to reassure you… Continue reading Let me reassure you
Asma Jama was hit in the face with a glass beer mug for not speaking English in an Applebee’s. She needed 17 stitches in her lip. In a press interview after the attack, Asma encouraged people to talk to others who seem different than them, to get to know them better as a way to overcome prejudice. She said, “I was attacked by a white … Continue reading Are you listening?
A few weeks ago I installed the exhibit at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The opening reception was a peace dinner. I spoke about the project and some of the stories I had encountered and then a couple people from the Carthage community spoke about their understanding of peace as well. Manar Mohammad, a student at Carthage was one of them. One of the great joys of … Continue reading Manar
You will find older blogs and podcasts at our original site, www.apeaceofmymind.net. Continue reading Archives
