Craig Ruvere

04Dec 2016 by CJ

Is there really a Santa Claus?

Youth

The internet is like a treasure trove of information. Forget that recipe for gingerbread cookies? What about the best way to clean red wine off your beige carpet? How about the population of the United States back in the early 1850's? Or even, is there really a Santa Claus? In a matter of minutes, you'll have answers to all your questions and still have plenty of time to check your local weather. But we all know there's a dark side to the internet, even though some recently polled college students proclaimed it was "as important as eating and breathing." Some examples would include cyber bullying, child pornography and Santa Claus. If that last one has thrown you, let me clarify. Many young children today are more computer savvy than some…

27Nov 2016 by CJ

Lately, the internet seems to feed negativity

Life & Living

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been re-examining my reliance on the internet and the importance I place on it in my everyday life. In many instances, there’s no denying it’s benefits from online purchases and banking, to streaming services and DIY information. But there’s something else readily available at our finger tips – something that’s not always easily detected as we bounce around from one site to another. It was during my re-examination that it became evidently clear how many websites, which I visit with some regularity, had become nothing more than a sea of negative information and sensational headlines. Even sites with no political agenda had begun spewing and supporting hateful propaganda in order to sway an impressionable society one way or the other. The internet feeds negativity…

14Nov 2016 by CJ

Thanksgiving to-do-lists – who’s important on yours?

Generosity & Kindness

“What if, today, we were grateful for everything?” – Charlie Brown Whether they’re stored on your phone, cataloged on an online calendar, or living on a piece of scrap paper hanging on your refrigerator door, Thanksgiving lists are a necessary part of our busy lives. While flipping through the pages of the magazine Real Simple, I came across a message from the editor - who spoke at great length about to-do-lists and how our lives are often dictated by these pesky reminders. She told the story of how she recently came across an envelope containing cards and well wishes from cherished individuals she had previously worked with. She began reading some of the heartfelt messages from people she still remembered fondly. But as life so often gets in the way,…

03Nov 2016 by CJ

Alzheimer’s Awareness happens in November

Life & Living

Nothing inspires me more than well-crafted lyrics paired perfectly with a haunting melody. When She Loved Me is one of those songs. It was beautifully sung by Sarah McLachlan back in 1999, as part of the soundtrack for the movie Toy Story 2. When I first heard the song, it was clear by the circumstances of the film that a lonely “toy” was singing the song to the little girl she used to be inseparable with – only now she’s all grown up. When taken in the context of the movie, you rarely assign the song any other possible meaning beyond what the film intended. But the other day the song popped up on my play list (somewhat randomly) and now 17 years later the song has come to mean…

30Oct 2016 by CJ

Prejudice is taught, not instinctive

Youth

“Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list.” - Denis Leary Many times parents overlook the reality that they are in fact their child’s very first teacher. Children are incredibly impressionable, and therefore they often adopt the qualities and behaviors of their parents – the good, and unfortunately the bad as well. Children are not born prejudice towards other races. The don’t enter this world prepared to be homophobic. And while they understand there are differences, gender stereotypes are a non-issue. What they are born with is the capacity to love, to be accepting and perhaps most importantly to recognize that being different is not always a bad thing. As I said, parents are their child’s first teacher,…