Well before I was married, actually even before my first real boyfriend, a very wise man told me something about his marriage. At first I was surprised. This man was my rabbi and I didn’t quite expect him to utter, “In my marriage there are three people.” We have since become friends. And while I…
When my son (we’ll call him Speedy) was 4, my husband, Jon, took him to the Oakland Zoo. It was supposed to be a nice father/son-bonding day. But, due to a common miscommunication, which occurs when questions are answered, it was traumatizing for both. After gawking at the various animals, they went to the area…
In 1969, Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull wrote a book. It was meant to be funny. Though, with most things humorous, its hilarity rested on its truth. The book conceptualized the “Peter Principle”. In many organizations, those who are good at what they do get promoted. And they keep getting promoted. In fact, they get promoted until they…
Throughout my career, I have taken training after training in a myriad of subjects, all of which begin with a lesson about ‘active listening.’ This makes sense, as active listening is the foundation on which most of what I do professionally is based. But, I have found these trainings to be quite elementary. To me…
In today’s climate, with war raging and tensions rising in the middle-east, the Ukraine, South Sudan, Iran, Syria, Korea, Iraq (to name a few), we have a heard a great deal about what is needed for peace. These conversations bother me even when I believe the political strategy is correct. It is not peace we…
After leaving a play at The Lesher Center for the Arts, my husband and I sat not so patiently in a line of cars waiting to get out of the garage. As we chatted about the play, the audience, how much to pay the babysitter, we noticed a growing commotion at the front of one…
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