When I was 6 years old, I asked my parents about learning a musical instrument. They said they would be happy to help, and I could choose the instrument I wanted to play. There was a condition, though. Whatever I chose, I would need to take lessons, and be sure to practice. Every day. I […]
Blog
Employee compensation is often discussed in two components: salary and benefits. When we are young, the salary part tends to grab our attention, but as we age, our focus often becomes more about the benefits provided by an employer. The fact is that employee benefits are highly important and valuable at the beginning and every […]
While rummaging through my house, I came upon two tiny dumbbell weights—1 lb a piece. They were so small, they almost looked like toys and I certainly don’t remember how or why we ever came to own them. I laughed at the visual they presented, thinking how one would look if these weights were actually […]
A couple months ago, I was walking through Grant Park in Chicago and needed to cross Michigan Avenue to head back to my hotel. At the crosswalk I chose, unfortunately, was a guy with a bullhorn. He was railing, and confrontational. He would call out people at the busy intersection and ask them what sins they […]
My daughter dragged me to a concert recently. She knows someone in the excellent reggae band Rebelution, and scored us backstage “Family” passes (thanks Wes!). Getting a glimpse into the world of a highly successful touring band was very cool, and the band was wonderfully polite and hospitable to me and the other “old-timers” in […]
I was lost in the woods once. It was frustrating because I was several days into a trek across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with a group of guys. When we started out, we were young college students in search of adventure, but after a week in the rugged Northwoods, we were really just cold, hungry and […]
I visited a man in prison. It’s a remarkable and lengthy process to request and gain approval for a visit, and once the paperwork is done, the additional process of getting inside the facility on the day of the visit is also quite involved. The layers of fences, each crowned in ominous razor wire, are […]
A local man won the Florida lottery a couple weeks ago. He was beaming with his oversized “check” of $2 Million before taxes, and I’m sure that he will buy something that he’s always wanted. I laughed to myself that the jackpot was “low,” and thought how I only bought a ticket when the Powerball […]
Have you ever let someone down? I know I have, and it’s tough to own up to and face the hurt and disappointment in the person, especially if it is someone you love. As a parent, I can think of instances when I wasn’t able to measure up to my younger children’s lofty and unrealistic […]
The newest skyscraper in Chicago is 150 North Riverside, a shiny class A office building clad in blue and silver reflective glass and granite, tucked on the Chicago River between Lake and Randolph Streets. The building is quite handsome, but the aesthetics are truly overwhelmed by its startling structural design, featuring what seems to be a […]