03Oct 2013 by CJ

Bullies are nothing more than cowards

Life & Living, Youth
You’d be naïve to think that bullies only exist on the playground. That the adult world we all inhabit is void of individuals who need to show their dominance over others in order to feel superior and strengthen their own insecurities. Sadly they’re all around us – on the front pages of our newspapers, in our government agencies and in the places we live and work. Here’s something important to remember though: bullies are nothing more than cowards whose only way to cope with their lack of self-esteem is to verbally and many times abusively attack others. You would think as adults we would learn the harmful effects such behaviors can have on others, but then again most bullies simply don’t know any other way to live – or should…
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03Sep 2013 by CJ

As a new school year begins, show children the importance of an education

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
As a new school year begins, so does the evolution of how we educate our children and measure its effectiveness. As the business world looks to evaluations and statistics to measure production, quality and even employees, our schools are now turning to many of the same practices - utilizing standardized testing to rate the performance of teachers, curricula’s and students. While some might argue the biased nature of such testing, the results weigh heavy on the minds of school administrations around the country. But as this new school year begins, I’m reminded of something President Obama said during one of his State of the Union addresses several years back. Take a look… “That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. It's family that first instills…
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28Aug 2013 by CJ

The most important qualities of a person cannot be seen

Life & Living, Youth
It’s been a long time since I’ve sat down to enjoy the wonderment of children’s literature. I suppose as we grow older and the world of far-off, fairy tale lands are tainted by reality, our need and believability in such fiction disappears. As we continue to age, I think our power to dream, hope and imagine decreases. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons why children’s literature is no longer applicable to adults – as we’re not always able to suspend our disbeliefs. And while the book, The Little Prince, which was written by Antoine De Saint-Exupery in 1943, was first conceived as a children’s story, it has come to be loved by adults all over the world – and I’m one of them. I was first introduced to…
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20Aug 2013 by CJ

People living with disabilities are not the ones who are disabled

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
What’s happening to the human race? When did we all become so jaded – lacking the ability to be compassionate, empathetic and unselfish in a world filled more with divides than unison? When I was first told of the following news stories, I convinced myself there must be some mistake. While I’m not naïve to the biases our great nation harbors towards each other, I couldn’t imagine this one being factual – but it is. The two stories below left me incredibly angry and even sad at the complete lack of consideration we have for those living in our local communities and ultimately in the world. Judge for yourself: “The Giesegh family of Colorado says their neighbors are asking them to take down the handicap ramp outside their door, belonging…
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19Jun 2013 by CJ

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love

Love & Relationships, Youth
On June 18, 2013 my beloved grandmother, Madeline Ruvere, peacefully passed away at the age of 92. [caption id="attachment_75" align="alignright" width="296"] A beautiful picture of grams with my great-grandfather.[/caption] Though her health was in continual decline over the last few months, it might sound strange but her passing was still a surprise. I realize it was probably expected given her age, but when you lose someone who once occupied a huge part of your living, laughing and loving, I assure you the loss is still profound regardless of how old you are. Over the last few days my memories of her have been very strong. Beyond the love and support she always provided me, I think the greatest gift she left me was a treasure chest of memories I can…
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