Craig Ruvere

28Nov 2021 by CJ

The highest sense of well-being comes from being yourself

Youth

A recent report by UNICEF, which analyzed data from 41 high-income countries, found that children in the Netherlands had the highest sense of well-being, followed by Denmark and Norway. At the bottom? Chile, Bulgaria, and yes, the United States. Anita Cleare, author of “The Working Parent’s Survival Guide,” told CNBC regarding the report, “I think that growing up in a culture where everyone’s unique gifts are celebrated, and children feel like they can be who they want to be, and they’re not being judged, is likely to make friendships more positive, playground culture more positive, and is going to help children’s happiness levels.” But here in the United States, we don’t live in a society where everyone’s unique gifts are celebrated or worry about our children’s highest sense of well-being. Instead, parents force…

18Nov 2021 by CJ

Gosar deserves the same fate ordinary Americas would face

Love & Relationships

I’m rarely at a loss for words, and often this blog provides me with an opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings in the hopes of inspiring positive change in others. But I have to tell you, after learning about the animated attack by Rep. Paul Gosar on both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden, I actually said out loud, I’m not sure I can write about this. Why? Because I’m in utter disbelief that an elected official – who I might add works for and is paid by the American people – thought it was appropriate and acceptable to post such a violent video in the first place. For those of you unaware of the story, Rep. Paul Gosar (Arizona) posted an anime video on social media showing him…

28Oct 2021 by CJ

Book banning in America is as antiquated as prejudice itself

Information & Education

The headline of a recent NPR.com article surprised me regarding book banning in America. A Texas lawmaker is targeting 850 books that he says could make students feel uneasy. Rep. Matt Krause – a Republican – stated that he explicitly targets books that "might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex." Apparently, Krause is running in a very crowded primary race in the state of Texas, and it's no great shock that he's trying to make a name for himself to stand out from the competition. His answer is the book banning letter he sent to school leaders of the state, which they must answer by November 12. What do school leaders in Texas think? "The inquiry is a disturbing and…

14Oct 2021 by CJ

Why Americans don’t want to work is not so cut and dry

Life & Living

From board rooms to classrooms to living rooms all across the country, a topic that continues to ignite conversations with little resolve is why Americans don’t want to work? The answer most people respond with when posed with such a question is that Americans are lazy and complacent living off government assistance programs. Businesses continue to blame labor shortages for slowdowns in manufacturing and ultimately how quickly and efficiently they can get their products into the hands of consumers. I’m certainly not denying that struggle is real and is impacting our global supply chain. But the question of why Americans don’t want to work is more complex than many realize — including me. In fact, it wasn’t until I stumbled upon a recent article in The Washington Post that I began to…

22Sep 2021 by CJ

The band-aid needs to come off if we’re to move forward as a nation

Life & Living

As a little boy, I always dreaded when it was finally time to remove the band-aid covering my scraped knee or cut elbow, which was a pretty common occurrence. My mother would lovingly apply antiseptic to clean the wound before covering it with the plastic and gauze tab to help protect it from infection. The band-aid felt comforting and even provided a feeling of safety, like the armor of a superhero shielding me from unpleasantries. But sooner or later the band-aid needs to come off This often raised my anxiety level and induced my brain to retreat into a state of fear. That fear over the excruciating pain caused by removing the band-aid was admittedly based more on false truths spread around by older classmates or friends and had little…