Archive for 2005

• 10.5.05 "Change is not Always Good" is posted in Reflections

I was thinking tonight: I could move somewhere, get an MBA, and still manage to rent out the house. If the business stopped for a couple of years while I was studying, that’d be okay. I wouldn’t have to trade all the progress just so I could try something new. But then I realized something–why would I want to veer away from what I’ve got and where I’m headed?We all have tendencies to want to start over, to try something completely new, to move on from the status quo. Maybe it’s another degree. Maybe it’s a city you’ve always wanted to live in. Maybe it’s a job you haven’t tried. It’s so tempting, no matter how pleasant life is, to want to see how it all would be different. It’s not just that the grass would be greener, it’s that new seeds would blossom into something a little different. (more…)

• 9.1.05 "Billboards Avoiding a Catastrophe" is posted in Reflections

Strangely enough, IM away messages & profiles are the T-shirts, banners, and de facto modus of self expression for much of my generation. It was predictable to see relevant messages when the Terps or Sox were winning their leagues. It was understandable to find comments when birthdays arose, holidays came around, or electoral candidates debated. But it’s scary to me: why in the 100 or so of my friends I see online is there no reference to the catastrophe that is New Orleans? (more…)

• 6.24.05 "Be kind if you want him to like you." is posted in Rant, Reflections, Relationships

When I was 15 and traveling through Israel I had a number of debates about the topic of “universal politeness.” I remember arguing with Adam a lot about whether it’s necessary to try to empathize when someone gets hurt or to express gratitude when others do for you. He was against what he considered arbitrary kindness. I disagreed. From then on I’ve always been the one who offers “god bless you” from the other side of the room, because I think it really does make a difference. (more…)