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Don’t Yuck My Yum
As much as we strive to be unaffected by the opinions of others, most people do care what other people think. We are social creatures, and mutual acceptance is an integral part of society. As it happens, we are everybody else’s other people. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we have power in the lives of those around us. Our friends, coworkers, and family all care to greater or lesser degrees what we think. If you are still balking at this idea, consider the power of social media to influence. An entire industry has grown up around the ability of social media (i.e., our opinions) to influence others. Shares and…
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You’re Killing Me, Smalls
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:30 am, there is a pick-up game at the gym. Men (and at least one woman) from all walks of life and of all ages come together to start their day with play. The rules of engagement are not complicated. You show up; you get to play basketball. Oftentimes, there are more than two teams worth of players. When that happens, they self-regulate and take turns. They make it work. Pick-up games demand mutual respect amongst the players. They require discipline and a sense of fair play. There is something very appealing about the simplicity of living by playground rules. Grinning through one another’s triumphs, laughing at each other’s mistakes, and…
