In 1955, psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham created a technique to better understand ourselves and improve communication with others. They named the model the “Johari Window” as a combination of their names. The four quadrants represent the four parts of ourselves: When we start off in a new community (for example, a new job …Read More
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Rum Cake ~ You Never Listen
My parents baked Jamaican Black Rum Cake every year as gifts for friends and family at Christmas. The fruits–raisins, currants, prunes, cherries, citrus, and more–were minced and soaked in rum and wine from the previous year. I helped out in the kitchen–assisting, watching, and learning. My mom would ask my dad how much of an …Read More
Aikido of Love ~ Terry Dobson
In July, I went to the 2025 National Storytelling Network Conference. Workshops spanned various topics of oral storytelling from crafting to coaching to applying storytelling principles. Elisa Pearmain gave a workshop on “Listening to Our Anger–Acting Out of Love.” Among the activities, she told an oral version of “Aikido of Love,” a story written by …Read More
Telling Stories to Kids – What I Learned
Kids need you to be fully present with them. They know when your mind is elsewhere. This summer, I had the opportunity to tell stories to kids. I volunteered as part of the Tamiami Tale Tellers, my local Storytelling Guild. A local church summer camp asked us to tell stories and talk about the importance …Read More
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
“Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic. Writing is creating something out of nothing, is opening doors to other lands. Writing gives you power to shape your own world when the real one hurts too much.” ― R.F. Kuang, Yellowface Yellowface is the practice of white actors using makeup to play Asian …Read More
sad news
“We have sad news for everyone.” The administration gathered us together that morning in the auditorium, but we usually met in the small classrooms. Something was wrong; I could hear the hushed murmuring of my fellow classmates. What’s happening? Why are we here? Did you hear? We were all students spending the summer together before …Read More
She’s Got Good Lungs
The sound of screeching brakes is followed by a thunderclap of crunching metal. The unexpected crash cuts through the pleasant background of music and chatter. My friend and I were just making our way from the car in the parking lot to the restaurant in the outdoor shopping center. My mind processes the sounds for …Read More
Play is the Process
Almost two decades ago, I traveled to a workshop at a retreat center in an old historic mansion in West Virginia. We lived and ate together for 5-days dong transformational work to heal our bodies, minds, and spirits. I returned many times over the years and formed deep friendships. Eventually, we started gathering together outside …Read More
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Water Consumption
The story of artificially intelligent (AI) machines taking over the world and eliminating humans is not new. Isaac Asimov, the grandfather of science fiction, created Three Laws of for Robotics in a short story written in 1942 for his “I, Robot” series. (Yes, that’s 1942!) Three Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov Science fiction often …Read More
Recipe: Chocolate Whiskey Cake
I ran out of whiskey! Years ago, a friend moved out of town and brought over the content of her liquor cabinet: small-batch expensive Whiskey, Kentucky Bourbon, Godiva chocolate liqueur, Irish cream, and the list went on. After it sat on the shelf in a corner of the pantry for a year, I started giving …Read More