An American Intervention

Posted on by Ciara Pressler
whitney plantation

Photo: The author inside a human cage at The Whitney Plantation, the only American plantation restored to honor the memory and plight of enslaved African people. Welcome to the week of waking up. I am watching the stream of Official Statements from various organizations from the back of the room, leaning against the wall with my arms crossed, side of my mouth turned up and brow furrowed. This week of black squares on social media has been what the rainbow logo is to Pride week: easy, convenient, trendy. Meaningless unless followed by tangible, measurable action. Businesses that declare support for […]

My Career Story: Dan Hawk, Photographer

Posted on by Pregame Magazine
Wildhorse Photographer-4

Name: Dan Hawk Current Job: Dan Hawk Photography, LLC Current Place: Portland, Oregon  Hometown: A small town in Southern Oregon called Myrtle Point Age: 45 What I wanted to be when I grew up: A Fighter Pilot College degree: BS in Music from Western Oregon University What do you love about what you do? In previous careers, I was either selling a product or service that was intended to fit a lot of different types for customers, which meant it wasn’t the perfect fit for most.    When I started my photography career, that was one thing I decided I […]

I Did Not Expect To Break In This Way

Posted on by Lisa Wagner
empty bed

We don’t know what the new normal holds or when we will get back to it. We don’t know who will emerge with life, health, fortune, dreams and love intact. But the entire planet has never before centered on such a shared pivot of direction. We can be kind to ourselves, just as we must be kind to each other. We can take a breath and take a beat.

I Need A Hug… A Single Extrovert’s Worst Nightmare

Posted on by Shannon Rasimas
empty sofa

Here we are, through March 2020, where most of us probably feel like February was four years ago instead of four weeks. Our lives have been turned upside down, and let me tell you, this weekend was one of the hardest times of my entire life. I don’t think I’ve experienced sadness or anxiety like I have since I was a little girl trying to figure out my childhood that forced me to grow up and take care of myself much faster than any five year old should. Saturday I took a 48-mile bike ride just to wear out some […]

A Challenge for the Curious

Posted on by J. Endress
playground

  Childhood, for the fortunate among us, often conjures idyllic memories of seemingly infinite stretches of time. Children are insatiably curious and inexhaustible. Early memories are a montage of innocent exploration of new experiences. Catching fireflies, licking frosting from the beater, splashing in a creek or the surf. Saturday morning cartoons, sleeping in, endless games of capture the flag, reading in secret by flashlight- all things many of us long for in a world that seems hellbent on ripping our most precious resource, time, away from us. “May you live in interesting times” is an ancient curse with Chinese roots, […]

Love and Lessons

Posted on by Christina Noel Mitchell
pregnant wonder woman

I’m not going to make up statistics, but it seems like most people become parents on accident and then improvise as needed, accepting their new role, as humans do, fairly easily. I think I may have a skewed view of that, and the ‘accidents’ just stick with my memory better, but it does seem that more times than not, it’s either a true accident or something along the lines of “well, we weren’t NOT trying.” I love that one. Nothing like a double negative to soften a vulnerable position. When I decided at 39 to get pregnant, I had my […]

February 2020: Legacy

Posted on by Ciara Pressler
ripple effect

We all have an urge to create. To put our stamp on the world. To leave a legacy. I learned this from Nick, a friend with whom I’d recently reunited. He had become a priest, serving as a hospital chaplain. Sitting in Madison Square Park, we caught up over coffee from the Mud Truck one spring afternoon. I was fascinated by the sheer amount of time he had spent with dying people; more than anyone else I knew at our age. I asked, “What’s the one biggest takeaway you have from being around people at the end of life?” He […]

The Pursuit of Immeasurable Impact

Posted on by Paige Webster
crafts

“Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops.” – Henry Brooks Adams I began my first career as a high school English teacher, full of idealism about the impact I would have on my students. The reason I went into teaching (aside from being completely clueless about what else I might do with my life), was because I wanted to have a positive impact on kids. Yet, I don’t know what impact, good and bad, I had on my students. I know some of the impact I had on some students. If the reason I went into […]

Book Brief: The Power of Fun

Posted on by Elyse Stoner
philly phanatic

The Power of FUN By David Raymond 2016, SDR Consulting & Dave Raymond The Idea Fun is often overlooked as a powerful business tool. Not only can it help businesses succeed, in the case of author David Raymond, it can be the root of your business. In the summer of 1978, Raymond, an underpaid Philadelphia Phillies intern, donned the Phillie Phanatic costume for the first time at the bequest of Phillies management, who created the character as a distraction to the baseball teams dismal on the field performance. Raymond shares what he learned from his 16 years in the green, […]

Spirituality: The Accidental Tourist

Posted on by Paige Webster
Everything Will Come To You At Just The Right Time | Sculpted Butterfly | 54x52

“When did God become such a judgmental prick?” Pam Grout asks in her book Thank and Grow Rich. “When humans took over,” is the grim reply in my head. I believe we are all on a spiritual journey, whether we realize it or not. The quest to find answers to questions like, “Why am I here? What does it all mean?” is a spiritual one, and I also believe, universal. Yet, I have been loathe to turn to the religion of my upbringing for answers. Self-help books seemed a lot more practical. The highlight of my first communion was that we […]