Musings
White Water
We just got back from our annual trek to Colorado. For me, the time we spend there each year is an important opportunity to unplug from my responsibilities at work. I love the mountains and being there helps me recharge so I can come back refreshed. As leaders, it is vital that we take time…
Read MoreBeauty And The Beast
I am on vacation this week, so this musing may be a little lighter than usual. As I sit watching the snow gently accumulate on the deck and the evergreens outside the window, I have been thinking about how easy it is to miss things. We are in Colorado for summer vacation, and yes, I…
Read MoreGetting To Know You
I apologize for referencing a film I just used a few weeks ago, but I was humming the song “Getting To Know You” from The King and I and I was struck by the lyrics. Getting to know you Getting to know all about you Getting to like you Getting to hope you like me…
Read MoreGreat Expectations
Depending on your expectations, this Musing is either unfortunately or fortunately not about the Charles Dickens novel. I would, however, like to retell a story about expectations. A butcher is watching over his shop one day when a dog comes in. He shoos him away, but the dog comes back. Then the butcher notices a…
Read MoreGood Is Hard
Author Scott Alexander wrote, “All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy.” I recently read some articles related to something most of us could very possibly have lived our entire lives without ever knowing. I was attracted to the article, “The Speedrunner Who Wasn’t:…
Read MoreElephants Never Forget
The phrases we use every day without even thinking are fascinating to me. I was wondering the other day if elephants really do have great memories and, after reading some incredible research, I can tell you they do. Elephants have the largest brain of any land mammal. I know, you’re thinking, “They are very large…
Read MoreIs A Puzzlement!
My favorite form of entertainment is musical theatre. I love to see musicals live, but also enjoy the movie versions. Near the top of my list of favorites is The King and I. The ever prim and proper Anna Leonowens has come to Siam to be the governess of the children of King Mongkut. The…
Read MoreI Am Jack’s Wasted Life
“We buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like.” Tyler Durden in Fight Club I re-read the following story a few nights ago. I was unable to track down the origin of this parable, so I repeat it here without citation. A group of alumni, highly established…
Read MoreThe Next Picasso
In the past few days I have had the privilege of speaking and interacting with some really amazing young people. Ranging from middle school to graduating seniors and spanning racial, socioeconomic and school types, these students were inspiring, engaging, attentive and scary smart. I learned some things from them. I must have been asleep in…
Read MoreLest We Forget
As I watched the live coverage of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on Sunday, I was reminded again of a simple but important truth. It takes effort to remember the things that have shaped us as a community and as individuals. When significant things happen in our individual or collective lives, we think we will…
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