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Forrest Gump's famous line 'Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get" achieved certified pop culture status, pre-internet. The movie released in 1994 was so popular that some of us hilariously attempted to repeat Forrest's phrase (complete with his southern drawl) and apply his wisdom to the most trivial of things. The phrase, told to him by his momma, was a metaphor for life. Here was this man, with limited mental capacity, meeting… -
We have all met someone who has defied expectations to succeed. Abraham Lincoln failed numerous times in political office before becoming the 16th President of the United States. But what happens when someone defies expectations by 'failing up'? Some say Donald Trump fits in this category. His tough talking straight shooter persona seems to be dividing Republicans, shocking America and insulting everyone else. Can he really win the Republican presidential nomination? Some are asking,…
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“The only thing that consoles us for our miseries is diversion. And yet it is the greatest of our miseries.” --Blaise Pascal, Pensees The above quote was found in Media Unlimited, a book by Todd Gitlin I used as part of my graduate thesis research seven years ago. I was developing initiatives assisting youth of color in disadvantaged communities to create and utilize their social, cultural, economic and political capital. How do you design a program to hold the attention of…
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Let's not forget this one fact: the first people ever on the internet were adults. That also means that the first internet addicts were adults. As much as we lament young people's total dependence on technology, we introduced it to them. Now, young people are growing up to be full digital natives and setting technological trends that the rest of us adults follow. They are also discovering new ways to be in relationships. But…
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My youngest son (far right) and I were having a conversation about my life and the things I did as a kid. "We built wooden go-carts and clubhouses, made slingshots and tried to make a parachute out of a trash bag," I said. My son laughed and asked," How old were you?" "I was 8 years old when I started with my three friends," I said. This shocked him because…
