Lately I’ve noticed a refrain from many friends and clients. They’re telling me about a situation with their boss, or colleague, or their kid’s teacher, or their partner. In the middle of explaining the situation, they pause and say: “which is fine, it’s fine.” Hang on. Is it fine? It doesn’t sound like it’s fine. … Read more
Just thinking
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but… It doesn’t matter how hard you work on a thing. If I play basketball against my son, any basket I make is going to count the same as any basket he makes, even though I’ll have to work much harder to score. If I build my … Read more
For most of my life, I was indifferent to/snobby about sports. “It’s just a game,” I sniffed. I didn’t get it: the stats, the fandoms, the lingo. What was the point? Why were grown people so riled up? Then, about seven years ago, I started to get it. Suddenly and unpredictably, I started to care—a lot. … Read more
People respond differently to the pressure of a time crunch. Some barely seem to notice, and don’t change the plan at all. Some start a race with the clock, losing focus entirely in their rush. Some alter the plan to meet the goals in the time they have available. How are you likely to respond … Read more
As far as I can tell, the term “ghosting” started as a way to describe the phenomenon of one person suddenly and without warning completely cutting off contact with another person, typically in a dating situation. Texts and calls go unanswered, and eventually the ghosted person gives up, unsure what happened. The same thing happens … Read more
Lately I am finding myself in the middle of competing commitments. I have committed to directing a play, Jeeves Intervenes, that opens on February 5. I have committed to the William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations, a two-year journey in which the fifth seminar takes place this week. I have committed to an engagement … Read more
When I was in college, I took a lot of sociology classes. In one, I remember the professor sharing the (possibly apocryphal) story of a woman and her daughter who come to her mother’s house for dinner. All three generations are cooking together, preparing a pot roast for the meal. The youngest watches her mother … Read more
Last fall, I went to a play. This was the first time since March of 2020 (or maybe a little earlier) that I’d been to a live play in a theatre—very exciting! Before the lights dimmed and the actors took their places, the artistic director of the company gave a short curtain speech. As is … Read more
This blog post will generate lots of responses. They will almost all be automated emails from subscribers that let me know the recipient is out of the office for some time over the holiday season. When I first entered the workforce, there was email, but there were few cellphones, no smartphones, and you didn’t assume … Read more
Every year about this time, I realize I’m not really in the market for presents any more. I’m fortunate enough to be able to purchase all the stuff I need and lot of what I want, so I’m not turning to a wish list to fill out those items. What I long for more and … Read more
