01Aug 2011 by CJ

The very “special” few understand teamwork

Life & Living
I present to you the following story – words once spoken by the late Fred Rogers as only he could. “There was a story going around about the Special Olympics. For the hundred-yard dash, there were nine contestants, all of them so-called physically or mentally disabled. All nine of them assembled at the starting line and, at the sound of the gun, they took off. But one little boy didn’t get very far. He stumbled and fell and hurt his knee and began to cry. The other eight children heard the boy crying. They slowed down, turned around, and ran back to him – every one of them ran back to him. The little boy got up, and he and the rest of the runners linked their arms together and…
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31Jul 2011 by CJ

Alzheimer’s is a sad reality many of us will unfortunately witness

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“Alzheimer’s is brutal. I mean, it’s associated with losing your memory, but you don’t just forget who people are; you also forget how to talk, how to eat, how to do everything. That’s hard to wrap your head around until you actually see it.” - Seth Rogen Not so long ago, I used to refer to myself as a teenager – living life with abandonment, passion and a sense of naivety. But while a trip down memory lane might seem like only yesterday, the reality is that twenty years have passed since pubescence transformed me from a boy into a man. It’s amazing how time truly does escape us. I suppose John Lennon was right when he sang, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” But…
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27Jul 2011 by CJ

A new job can be cause for anxiety and that’s normal of anything new

Life & Living
I recently started a new job. Well, it's not really a NEW job, since it's for the same company just for a different department. I thought since I already knew many of the people I'd be working with and utilizing many of the same skills and abilities that it'd be a piece of cake to transition from one job to the other. Fat chance. On my first official day I found myself riddle with computer issues from my new system and a learning curve I wasn't fully expecting since the nature of the work was so similar. But I suppose every job has its share of nuances which can seem challenging and even overwhelming at times to anyone unfamiliar with them. I found myself feeling insecure and defeated as the…
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01Jul 2011 by CJ

Health care is unattainable until he robbed a local bank

Life & Living
Chances are if you were contemplating robbing a bank, you’d probably be after some quick cash. But recently, a 59-year-old man had other intentions – robbing a local RBC Bank for health care. It happened on June 9th and continues to surprise anyone who hears his story. “This is the first time I've ever been in trouble with the law,” James Verone said from the Gaston County Jail. “I'm sort of a logical person and that was my logic. That was what I came up with.” He didn’t have gun when he calmly approached the teller, just a note that read, “This is a bank robbery. Please only give me one dollar.” And then he casually walked away saying, “I'll be sitting right over there in the chair waiting for…
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30Jun 2011 by CJ

Writing letters is an art form that lasted thousands of years – until now

Information & Education, Life & Living
Historian, David McCullough, was recently asked about writing letters: “We don’t write letters on paper anymore. How will this affect the study of history?” His response was interesting… “The loss of people writing – writing a composition, a letter or a report – is not just the loss for the record. It’s the loss of the process of working your thoughts out on paper, of having an idea that you would never have had if you weren’t writing. And that’s a handicap. People I research were writing letters every day. That was calisthenics for the brain.” Yes, one might argue, that our society does write everyday. But take a look at the quality of text messages and emails being produced. You’ll soon realize that we’re not exercising our brain as…
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