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Annette Deguire: 1971-2019

I learned yesterday that my former classmate Annette Cassidy has passed away. I can’t believe it. Annette was my very first crush. Being seated alphabetically in so many classes, I often found myself sitting behind Annette, whose last name at the time was Deguire. My crush may have been the product of proximity plus her…

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Worst present ever

My brother, Jeremy, gave my daughter a Fuggler for Christmas. A Fuggler is supposed to be a “funny, ugly monster.” It’s not. A Fuggler is a horror show. A horrible, frightening, disgusting little thing. An ugly doll with human teeth. A creepy, furry creature that would give rats nightmares. Clara opened the present, took one…

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“Santa Cows” bridges time and space

Just before bed on on Christmas Eve, I told Charlie to get a book for us to read. A minute later, he returned with “Santa Cows” by Cooper Edens, a ridiculous reimagining of “The Night Before Christmas” in which six cows of varying breeds visit a family in need of some Christmas spirit. The cows…

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The story of our engagement

Today is Elysha and my engagement anniversary! Fifteen years ago today, I proposed marriage to the woman I love, and she accepted. Kind of. Yesterday we were back in New York City, standing in Rockefeller Center beneath the famous Christmas tree, which had been a part of our engagement fifteen years ago. This time we…

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Speak Up Storytelling #78: Storytelling Forensics – “Searching for the Holy Grail”

On episode #78 of the Speak Up Storytelling podcast, Matthew Dicks analyzes his own story “Searching for the Holy Grail” in an episode we call Storytelling Forensics. LINKS Purchase Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling Purchase Twenty-one Truths About Love Homework for Life: https://bit.ly/2f9ZPne Matthew Dicks’s website: https://matthewdicks.com…

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Christmas Day 2019 round up

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring. Not even a mouse. Mostly because we don’t have rodents living in our home. If we did, I would hire an exterminator immediately. Then children were nestled, all snug in their beds, with visions of sugar plums dancing in their…

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My 2019 Christmas haul

Every Christmas, I take inventory of the holiday gifts that my wife gives me. Some people wish for cashmere sweaters, the latest gadget, stylish watches, and jewelry. My hope is often for the least pretentious, most unexpected, quirkiest little gift possible, and she never fails to deliver. When it comes to gift giving, Elysha is…

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The three gift you should want to want

Tomorrow is Christmas Day. Elysha is famous (at least in my mind) for her amazing gift giving. Over the years, she has given me some of the most incredible gifts of my life. So amazing that I’ve been cataloging them for the past ten years. They include: Artists renditions of my childhood home and my…

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Books in hotel rooms

In a hotel in Indianapolis. I found these two books – The Bible and The Book of Mormon – sitting on the corner of the desk, one atop the other. It was odd, seeing them stacked like this, as if one is a sequel of the other. Actually, if you’re Mormon, I guess that’s exactly…

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The unopened gift is always the best gift

On Friday one of my students presented me with this gift. I told the kids that the only thing I wanted from any of them was to work hard and be kind, but some still came to school this week offering me small, unnecessary expressions their gratitude for my efforts. This was one of my…

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