Watching the evening news is depressing. The Taliban retakes Afghanistan; there are rampant fires and floods; and COVID continues to surge. There’s no question we could all use a dose of laughter. The benefits are legion: it boosts our mood; strengthens our immune system; diminishes...
In Santa Fe, Indian Market is a huge yearly event, bringing together Native American artists from around the U.S. and Canada. During the recent long weekend, the town buzzed with activity and visitors. We went to a glassblowing demonstration by Preston Singletary (see photo) and Dan...
CBS Sunday Morning recently covered the Young at Heart choir. It was founded 38 years ago and the members’ average age is 85. The focus of the piece was about being creative at an advanced age and the thrill of live performing. Singing in front...
Track and Field star Allyson Felix returned to the Tokyo Olympics at age 35 after enduring a difficult pregnancy and facing daunting odds of winning a medal.Behind the headlines lies a richer story. After Felix’s childbirth, her sponsor Nike proposed a 70% pay cut. Felix...
As the Tokyo Olympics wind down, the news stories vacillate between kid-from-nowhere makes good, upsets, returning heroes win again, and the crushing mental toll on the athletes. Some sports commentators tell athletes to go the stoic route and “suck it up, turn stress into motivation,”...
As the world knows, Simone Biles withdrew from the Olympics this past week. She was the face of the competition, the most decorated American gymnast and deemed to be the Greatest of All Time. To paraphrase, Biles said that preparing for the Olympics, while honoring...
The Olympics are finally here! COVID outbreaks, corruption and scandals aside, we will be focusing on the athletes and their accomplishments. For us, the Olympics are inspiring and thrilling.Simone Biles (Greatest of all Time) is the proclaimed face of the American Olympians. This phenomenal gymnast...
In a recent 60 Minutes interview, Filmmaker Ken Burns referred to a Merle Haggard quote included his PBS series Country Music: “Country music is about things we believe in but can’t see, like dreams, songs and souls.” Burns backed up Haggard: “There is in front of...
Recently, we were hiking at Bandelier, where Ancestral Pueblo peoples lived in cliff dwellings from approximately 1150 to 1550 CE. Corns, bean and squash, referred to as the Three Sisters comprised most of their diet, along with native plants and animal meat. The indigenous people...
Aristotle developed rhetoric 2,500 years ago and instructed speakers to include three things to be influential: Ethos = character, Logos = logic, and Pathos = emotion. Most agree that character (Ethos) must be displayed when speaking, but whether to feature Logos or Pathos has been...