In the Parc Montsouris, in Paris, on a sunny Sunday of March 2025 (Gregorian Calendar). “Creating beauty through courage, hope, and connection” … That is inspiring. And intimidating. I shall begin by exploring what my personal human experience can reveal about that. There have been many beautiful moments in my life, and many of them […]
Rolling on the River: Finding All the Good Stuff in a Whitewater Kayak I’d like to tell you about the Whiskey River Rollers, a group of strangers who became friends during Covid through whitewater kayaking. Before sitting down to write this story, I hadn’t connected the Whiskey River Rollers with “creating beauty through courage, hope, […]
My name is Dieter, I’m from Germany and I’m 62 years old. I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in 2007. This disease restricts my freedom of movement considerably, as my lower spine and my chest have stiffened. My rib cage has stiffened. As a result of the stiffening, my rib cage only moves 1cm and […]
Skunks Throw Straight Tony was a new kid, and nothing but trouble. He moved from Sioux City to our sleepy valley where everyone knew everyone, and we all had horses. I found him suspicious, and exciting. I didn’t want to be his friend, but was curious about his skillset: hot-wiring cars, jimmying odometers, making explosives. […]
I have been an introvert for as long as I can remember. Whether due to biological or environmental factors (or some combination of the two) I have always had the tendency to value alone time and avoid social settings. I was shy as a little kid and for a good portion of my teenage years […]
Flutter I’d been told that pregnant women often describe feeling their babies first movement as something akin to the flutter of a butterfly’s wings. And indeed, that’s how both of my sons introduced themselves to me, from the inside, a flutter. Ariel, my daughter-in-law is all in a flutter these days with her second child […]
As a 14 year old, naturally, I assumed my life was difficult and that I was the only one going through experiences like bullying and being the odd one out. I was living in England, having moved there when I was 9, and was one of maybe 2 other American girls in my very local […]
I remember my first memory of Belo Horizonte like it was yesterday. I was lying in the back seat of my parents’ car, staring up through the window. It was nighttime, and I watched as the tops of buildings, overpasses, and pedestrian walkways flashed by. Light and shadow flickered across my face. We had just […]
My name is Dack Flagel. I know Chris from working with him at Eden Prairie High School as an EL (English Language) teacher. I work with kids that are new to the US or have left for many years and recently returned. These kids often come to us from across the globe having never used […]
There are days when I struggle to get out of bed. And yet I’m choosing to ride my bike for 30 days across Italy. Depression still has a hold on me. Some days are okay. Some days are extremely difficult. Some days it takes all the energy I can muster just to get out of […]
