23Jan 2012 by CJ

Drivers are more plentiful than ever and the experience has changed

Life & Living, Youth
"The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers."Dave Barry, Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn This morning my wife and I commuted to work together, while our other car was being serviced. On the rare occasion when this happens, we usually share the driving responsibilities - her taking the morning drivers commute and me relegated to the evening shift. We're all about balance in my household. While sitting in the passenger's seat, I came to the realization that being carted around from point A to point B is not a bad way to go through life. There I sat in utter relaxation -…
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17Jan 2012 by CJ

Friendships lasting over 50 years must be doing something right

Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
Every relationship evolves - riding up and down on an endless roller coaster through life. For friendships however, the bonds that once united you don't always keep you together. Elisabeth Foley once said, "The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart." Elisabeth Foley As many of us grow and mature, so do the relationships we once had. Our lives take us in different directions with new interests and discoveries - never diminishing the time we once spent together, but certainly changing the dynamics. But that doesn't happen to everyone I'm happy to say. My mother-in-law and her friend Mary have known each other since they were teenagers. It's a friendship that's lasted over 50 years, surviving times of struggle and times of joy.…
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09Jan 2012 by CJ

Reasons we all should learn to rejoice at the opportunity to just grow old

Life & Living, Youth
Here's a lesson for all those vain people out there who are afraid to grow old. The mantle clock struck midnight and I was still awake on the couch – my wife snuggled up in a blanket next to me, sound asleep. No doubt a late night cup of coffee and a small piece of leftover chocolate cake was sure to be the culprit for my wide eyes. So I decided to channel surf until my eyes eventually grew tired of flicking through the hundreds of channels supplied by my cable provider. After I’d gone through almost every channel available, I landed on a program I wouldn’t normally watch. It was a medical documentary about children who were battling cancer. As I’m sure many of you can understand, the distressing…
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18Dec 2011 by CJ

Writing a grown-up letter to Santa

Life & Living, Youth
Dear Santa, I’m not sure if you remember me - it’s been about 30 years since I last addressed a letter to you. I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner but after my sister broke the news to me about your fictitious existence, I didn’t really see the need to waste the postage any longer. Though admittedly, I’ve come to wonder if she was really right at all. My family recently made the trip into New York City to visit the tree at Rockefeller Center, the famous department store windows all adorned with holiday décor and the majestic St. Patrick’s Cathedral. While meandering through the city on a chilly December’s day, a few light snow flurries danced around our heads making it almost impossible not to be in the holiday spirit.…
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14Dec 2011 by CJ

Where are you Christmas – more and more we can’t find you

Life & Living, Youth
As of this writing, there are exactly 18 more days until the conclusion of 2011. It was a year not uncommonly filled with its share of highs and lows and looking back it’s difficult to imagine where the last eleven months have escaped. But as John Lennon once said, “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” But before we welcome in a new calendar year, we have another time-honored holiday to celebrate - Christmas. A subject of continuous debate, and the recurring theme of countless movies, books and television specials, is what is the true meaning of Christmas. While arguments surrounding its true meaning are subjective, it’s hard to decipher a logistical explanation when December 25th is continuously shrouded in dazzling decorations and over-the-top gift giving. It…
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