04Sep 2012 by CJ

Good teachers often leave a lasting impact on your life

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
“Good” Teachers by Charles Saydah is an editorial which surprised me. I suspected it would be much of the same – lumping a sea of respectable teachers in a pool of underachievers. But I’m happy to admit I was wrong. Saydah speaks of his English teacher back in the New York Public School System, Jacob Solovay, as “A supremely controlled man, his knowledge, kindness, generosity, supportiveness and patience appealed to his students. Our school had created a sophomore English class to develop writers and editors for the school paper. It must have been the ideal class for a teacher: motivated, smart kids engaged in a creative, mercantile task. As an adolescent, I sensed that it would be impossible to be a bad teacher under such conditions.” He and a few…
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03Sep 2012 by CJ

Watching less television will give you more time to do the things you put off

Information & Education, Life & Living
Did you ever think about how your life could change if you watched less television? Henry David Thoreau once said, “I cannot make my days longer so I strive to make them better.” To the chagrin of children around the country, a new school year is taking shape. The peaceful relaxation of summer months filled with abandonment have all but disappeared, and in its wake replaced with chaotic schedules that do nothing more than cause parents, students and teachers continual anxiety. But as Thoreau points out above, we cannot increase the length of our days – a desire which is simply beyond our control. However, we can impact the quality of our days and in turn the quality of our lives. And I truly believe that in order to impact…
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27Aug 2012 by CJ

The porch light used to be an interesting form of communicating

Life & Living
The porch light. Today the porch light has a single purpose - to illuminate seasonal wreaths hanging on front doors or aiding homeowners while fumbling for a keyhole in the darkness. But when I was growing up the porch light had another purpose, one that is rarely if ever used today. If you look around your neighbors, isn’t it strange that you never really see kids outside playing anymore? The birth rate in American hasn’t declined any so where are they all? Growing up we were always outside playing or exploring with our imagination in hand – even when it was raining or snowing sometimes. And when darkness fell and I saw the illumination of our porch light from wherever I was on the block, I knew it was time…
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19Aug 2012 by CJ

Unless it’s urgent, make Sunday a day of peace and relaxation

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
It’s often been said that Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. Yes, Saturday is often the day when you hear lawn mowers buzzing and people fluttering about taking care of household chores they simply couldn’t find time to take care of during the week. But Sunday, yes Sunday is supposed to be a time of relaxation – a time to recharge from a hectic work week and personal schedules to enjoy quality time with family and friends. There’s nothing I love more than a lazy Sunday whether it’s watching old movies, having company for afternoon dinners or just sitting outside enjoy the peace and tranquility of nature before another hectic week begins. But sadly, depending on where you live, Sunday serenity can be hard to achieve when…
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09Aug 2012 by CJ

The New Jersey shore was like taking a trip back in time

Life & Living, Youth
I recently took a trip down to the New Jersey shore – a rare occurrence over the last few years. You see as a child that was where my entire extended family vacationed. It was inexpensive and close to home, which made it an ideal choice for a modest family to escape the chaos of life. Stepping foot on the Seaside Heights boardwalk at the New Jersey shore was like stepping back in time. Truthfully it had been some twenty-five years since I last walked up and down the strip, and now at 37 years old, I could see that while much had changed, so much more had stayed the same. Thousands of deck boards, which lined the pathway, seemed as though they hadn’t been touched since they were installed…
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