Live long enough on this lovely chunk of rock hurtling through space and you will find yourself in a jam. Get into enough jams and sooner or later, you’ll stumble into one you can’t get out of—at least, not on your own. In that moment, what you rely on and who you call on for help can mean the difference between survival and a really bad day for your life insurer. If you could choose a guard dog to defend you in…
I once read tragic accounts of an ill-fated commercial airliner that became doomed, due to an inflight mischance of some kind, which badly damaged the tail section. As a result, the plane lost the use of its hydraulic assists—somewhat akin to losing power steering and power brakes on a car, as it barrels down the highway. The loss of its “boosters” severely restricted the nature and scope of the maneuvers that the aircraft could perform. Cascading mechanical failures also made the stricken airliner…
Successful people from all walks of life tend to be adept communicators. The best of these learn to stir the emotions as well as the intellect. They become skillful at simplifying complex ideas through storytelling. These stories tap into common experiences from everyday life that establish instantaneous connection with others and serve to highlight or illustrate main ideas. Abraham Lincoln is an acknowledged past master, as was humorist Will Rogers. Examples abound among prominent writers, politicians, entertainers, and teachers—especially teachers. In this category, none is so…
As a child I suffered from occasional nightmares. And for a period of time after each, I’d be anxious about falling asleep, for fear of having another. This was not a clinical condition, but an experience common among children of a certain age. I’m talking garden variety, “there’s a monster under my bed”-type stuff. Problems, worries, a scary film, an encounter with a barking dog that suddenly lunges, all can manifest themselves in the visions produced in the subconscious, as we sleep. These nocturnal…
“Confess” is an interesting and versatile word, which permeates the culture, especially in the western world. It was used in the Roman empire and even earlier, by ancient Greece. For those with an open mind, this word may enable and empower you to change both your life, and your destiny. But before we delve too deeply, we had best define our terms. The root word means to admit, acknowledge, concede, or reveal. When used in a negative context, it carries the idea of reluctance…
In the days since the Manhattan Project brought the world the atom bomb and the threat of nuclear annihilation on a planetary scale, dramatists have popularized phrases like, “dystopian future” and, “post-apocalyptic fantasy.” Having no real idea of what “dystopian” means, I looked it up. The gist of what I found is that it means a really bad place to be. A “dystopian future,” whether imagined or ultimately experienced, is one in which there is misery and suffering because of prevailing conditions in…
We live in perilous times. If you are a sentient being you know this and do not need it explained to you. Evil, corruption, violence and chaos swirl around us. The rising tide of darkness, madness and hysteria threatens to overwhelm us, engulf us, drag us down. The world is changing rapidly and radically, but definitely not for the better. All except those in deepest denial recognize that something supernatural is at work here. The demons are industrious, laboring incessantly, to steal, kill and…
A gospel salesman arrived in our town the other day. I had no pressing business to pursue, so I decided to observe him for awhile. His first official act was to select a shady park bench near the square and sit down. By and by, he rummaged in a battered train case for a brown paper bag, from which he extracted a sandwich. He bowed his head for a moment, eyes closed, and hands folded in his lap. Then he picked up the sandwich…
A cornerstone of personal safety and security is the admonition to ‘know who you’re dealing with.’ If you do not, you may be taken advantage of and suffer serious loss, up to and including life itself. Bad actors (and bad liars) may make self-serving or accidental disclosures that unwittingly give them away. Should anyone suggest that you’d be wise to be on your guard around them, you had best believe them and act accordingly. Guilt over those they have victimized in the past…
When two parties offer one another assurance that what they expect to happen will actually transpire, a number of time-tested options present themselves. One such option is to offer something of substantial value as security. This may take the form of earnest money on deposit with a third party, or a tangible asset, like real property or jewelry, held in trust. Another alternative is to put up a home, business, boat, or vehicle as collateral. For some purposes, a surety bond or performance…