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Walking in my footsteps

Charlie crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts last week. After a brief ceremony, he crossed a wooden bridge, leaving his Cub Scout pack behind and joining his new Boy Scout troop. A big day for Charlie. A big day for me, too. The Boy Scouts in many ways saved my life. Scouting gave…

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Phantom of the Opera was confusing, but not for the kids

Elysha and I took the kids to see Phantom of the Opera on Saturday. The show is closing in April after a record 35 years on Broadway, so it was now or never. We chose now. I knew absolutely nothing about the show as we walked into the Majestic Theater, and as the first act…

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Storytelling coaches who don’t take the stage make no sense

Here’s a bit of lunacy: I was working with a storyteller who will be performing onstage next month. She’s nervous. The audience will be sizable, and she’s never performed in a setting like this before. She’s being coached by someone who works for the organization producing the show. Her coach is helping her to craft…

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Tough trucks for shoppers and errands

The bestselling vehicle in the United States is the Ford F-150. But according to surveys done of Ford F-150 drivers over the last ten years, they use their trucks primarily, and oftentimes exclusively, for shopping, errands, pleasure driving, and commuting. But if this is the case, there are far more practical, fuel-efficient vehicles on the…

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A little bit of grace

I arrived at Bradley International Airport at 5:00 AM on Sunday for my flight to Cleveland, expecting to find the airport empty. I was sorely mistaken. In fact, I’ve never seen it busier. I can’t imagine why. Adding to my problems, my TSA Precheck status was not added to my American Airlines ticket, thus requiring…

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ChatGPT bio writes about Matthew Dicks

I’ve been experimenting with the possible uses of ChatGPT. There are many. Yesterday, in order to test its accuracy, I asked it to “Write a bio for Matthew Dicks.” It produced six grammatically correct paragraphs. I liked some of its sentences quite a bit: “His engaging and often humorous stories quickly gained him a significant…

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First impression was not good

I’ve been staying at the Hilton Akron Fairlawn Hotel and Suites in Akron, Ohio, while consulting with Smucker’s. I was told that it’s the hotel where Lebron James held his NBA draft party back in 2003. Apparently, he lived less than a mile from the hotel. When I checked in, I was handed a piece…

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Do small things to be happy

Want to improve your mood? Increase your level of happiness? There are some simple ways to do so. Remarkably simple ways. Scientifically proven ways. The problem is that most people don’t believe in incrementalism. Rather than doing small things that produce small results that accumulate over time into something meaningful and real, they demand immediate…

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Analog dating

I was telling a person younger than me about dating prior to the internet. I explained how you might find yourself attracted to a colleague, friend, acquaintance, or even a stranger, and when this happened, you would patiently wait for the right moment to tell that person how you felt and ask for a date.…

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