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Why was my cousin once removed?
A cousin once removed isn’t what (or who) it sounds like it is. Why was my cousin once removed? Maybe that’s why my family dispensed with the first cousin, second cousin, and once removed nomenclature...
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Arrrggghhhhh! Why I’m Having a Talk Like a Pirate Day this Week
Officially, Talk Like a Pirate Day won’t come until September 19, but I’ve been saying “Arrrggghhhhh!” a lot this week. Channel Changing It’s bad enough that if I leave the room for more than two...
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Resolution: In Life as in Storytelling
In stories, as in life, it’s the need for resolution that keeps us turning pages. I’m tickled to present a guest post from my long-time (not old) friend, Lori Schweers, about resolution. Recently I...
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What would my Ancestors Think of Me?
As I visited the former home of Sir George More, I wondered, “What would my ancestors think of me?” I had my doubts recently, as I traipsed around the UK, seeking out locations where my ancestors...
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Is Technology your Friend or your Despot?
A missing phone (Tell me if you’ve seen her!) can make you wonder. Is technology your friend or your despot? Is technology your friend or your despot, the device that’s trying to rule the household, if...
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Innocence Lost: Why Such Stories Matter
Innocence lost is supposed to be a traditional coming of age story. An assuming the mantle of adulthood story. A stripping of the naïveté of childhood. For most, that maturity takes place over time....
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Bumper Sticker Writing & Sharing Prompt
How do you tell people who you are? How would you give them a bumper sticker synopsis of yourself? (Of course, you could ask why you’d want to do that as well. As Rob Walker argues, “…bumper stickers...
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Can you give the Gift of Hope?
Can you give the gift of hope? My pastor would probably say no. In a recent sermon, he argued that hope doesn’t come as a gift, neatly wrapped up. It requires discipline and endurance. I get what he’s...
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How Family Stories Fill in the Gaps: A Case Study
During a single afternoon visit with an eighty-three-year old cousin back in 1996, my mother confirmed family traditions that put my grandmother’s life—and her stories—in context. Usually, when family...
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Feeling Irresolute in January?
We all want a better year—or at least one that is as good as the previous one. Despite the best of intentions, most of us will struggle to keep the resolutions we make. Those of us feeling irresolute...
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