05May 2011 by CJ

The Giving Tree – Something for EVERYONE to learn regardless of age

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
At first I was a little confused when my wife gave me a children’s book called "The Giving Tree" to read. Was she trying to tell me something, I thought. Turns out it was a book she first read and fell in love with back in a college literature class. “The Giving Tree,” written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein, was released in 1964 and is still popular today – even though its meaning continues to be the subject of debate. Some readers felt the story was too depressing, supporting codependency and selfish behavior. One blogger even said he’d read the book over 60 times and still wasn’t sure what the author was trying to say. That’s a little extreme for a book of simple line drawings and a sprinkling of…
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04May 2011 by CJ

Growing older is not something you should feel bad about

Life & Living, Youth
With the exception of teenagers who can’t wait to become full-fledged adults (why I’m still not sure) many of us aren’t really that tickled about growing older. I myself felt a little blindsided this year when after blowing out my birthday candles I realized I was 36 years old. That means I’m in my mid to late 30’s! How the hell did that happen and where in God’s name did all these gray hairs come from? I suppose I should be thankful there’s still anything up there at all, right? But even though I’m growing older, I’ve made a conscious decision not to fight it and become one of those people who spends much of their time and money trying to find a fountain of youth that simply doesn’t exist.…
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27Apr 2011 by CJ

Husbands, listen to your wives as they sometimes have the answers you don’t

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
It’s funny how one household project usually opens a HUGE can of worms. It's also a time to reiterate to husbands, listen to your wives. A few months ago we gave our kitchen a minor face lift - paint, lighting, furniture, decorations, you know the drill. And once we were done the room was all nice and sparkly – however the rest of the house wasn’t. And so began the process of repainting, removing and redecorating pretty much every room in our house. Nine years had passed, so I guess it was time. This past weekend it was the bathroom upstairs. How hard could a tiny room like that be right? Patching up a few divots and cracks in the sheet rock was a no brainer, painting the walls and…
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22Apr 2011 by CJ

Sending flowers is really NOT that hard – saying I love you is

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
Does anyone really believe that simply sending flowers to your wife or girlfriend qualifies you as a candidate for husband or boyfriend of the year? I can answer that question…WITH A BIG, FAT NO!!! Girls for some reason get all giddy when a guy brings them flowers. I’m not really sure why since it has to be one of the easiest, most emotionally starved acts a man can do. In fact the art was probably invented by a man so he’d have an easy way to get out of trouble when he spends too long in front of the television, or God forbid, forgets your birthday or anniversary. Where is this coming from you might ask? The other day some girl at work was sent flowers from her boyfriend. All…
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21Apr 2011 by CJ

The Catholic Church can’t practice what they preach

Information & Education, Life & Living
If you asked what religious denomination I was born into, I’d be somewhat weary to answer. You see I was once a devout Catholic who never ate meat on Fridays during Lent and attended mass every Sunday without fail. But one of the things which truly signifies our transition from child to adult is the ability to see the world through our own eyes – to not simply accept the ideas and beliefs we’ve been taught, but to question their meaning and their relevance in our lives. Like many other Catholic’s I’ve spoken to, I’ve started to question my religious faith – feeling as though the church I once found comfort and solace in has let me down by, pardon the pun, failing to practice so much of what they…
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