First of two parts Every day we find ourselves in gatherings, Priya Parker writes in “The Art of Gathering.” “If we can understand what makes these gatherings effective and memorable, then we can reframe and redirect them to benefit everyone, host and guest alike” Parker writes. She defines a gathering
Thomas looked in his mirror one last time. His hair and face were freshly washed and shaven. His blue blazer and paisley tie were suitable and trendy. He stood only 5-foot-7 inches, but told everyone who would listen he was six feet tall. He was fanatic about his weekly gym
Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, or in this case, a so-called normal life, along comes the evil stepsister of the COVID virus, the Delta Variant, which Trumpers like to call Great Hoax Number 2. LockDown Number 2 may be on its way
Not long after college, in the late-1960s, I was visiting friends on the gentrifying Near Northwest Side of Chicago. My host couple and I took a stroll prior to a night in nearby Old Town. As we came upon the Armitage Avenue Methodist Church, we saw perhaps a dozen young
National Night Out will be Tuesday, Aug. 3 with participation by many communities. It is a break from the heat of the Summer and a link to a back-to-school mentality. From previous years an impression is that young children enjoy the variation from a usual Summer routine. It is an
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette was born January 28, 1873 in the Village of Saint-Sauvenur-en-Puisaye, Burgandy, France. Her father was a war hero and tax collector. “When I was 12, I was queen of the earth.” She ran free through the woods under the careful eye of her much-loved mother. This feeling of
It’s 6 a.m. in Princeton, Ill.. I have a six-hour drive to Rochester, Minn., where the Mayo Brothers will take a look-see at my 80-year-old ticker. Some reason for stress. I stop at the drive-thru window at McDonald’s, a mile up the road at the Interstate. My car won’t function
Last of three parts The second part is at thevoice.us/secretary-of-interior-deb-haaland-assists-in-probe Joe Nelson of the The Press Enterprise in California tells us of the federal probe of Native American boarding schools ‘“The Interior Department will address the inter-generational impact of Indian boarding schools to shed light on the unspoken traumas of
Free and easy and a sense of individualism can be admirable and a positive sense for a proper lifestyle. There are limits, however. With the apparent easing of restrictions following fewer COVID-19 cases in recent months, it has been easy for many of us to think that sickness is over
Second of three parts The first part is at thevoice.us/native-american-forbidden-culture-dark-part-of-history Joe Nelson of the The Press Enterprise in California, tells us of the Federal probe of American Indian boarding schools in part one last week. We saw the forbidden culture as a dark part of history. Here is part two
Yes, I’ve finally made it to the big time. After all my years of acting on stage, as an extra in Hollywood films, or as a principle in industrial films for Bell Labs and others, I get recognized for receiving my COVID vaccination. And because I’m wearing my glasses, you
Superintendent Dr. Jeff Craig and West Aurora School Board of Education District 29 recently announced the appointment of two new administrators for the 2021-2022 school year. The appointments were approved during the July 12 regular Board meeting. • The first appointment is Patrick Eschman, who will serve as dean of
It is truly a big world in many ways. We have many directions to go to find our way. Choices may include to find a COVID-19 vaccine site, or, decide to take chances we would avoid calamity and not be subjected to catastrophe with the virus which has altered our
First of three parts The United States just has celebrated another Fourth of July Independence Day. We celebrated the day with familiar songs, about the land of the free with loud and many beautiful displays of fireworks. We give thanks and recognition to the many individuals who have sacrificed their
It is said that we meet those we are destined to meet in life. Whether it is a chance encounter on a train to a lady seated wearing pearls, or a gentleman who asks us to dance, we are all in a cosmos that clearly defines our circumstances. We still
In previous essays, I highlighted some of the streets of Aurora because of their historic value. Herewith, I will concentrate on the oddities of some of the City’s streets. Get out your map of Aurora, dear reader, and follow along. (What? You don’t have a map? Shame!) First up: Some
Few can know London, which is a vast city of more than nine million residents, as Samuel Johnson knew it in the 1760s when the city had 700,000 residents. James Boswell gave the advice that “If you wish to have a just notion of the magnitude of this City, it
By Tom Siebert Terrence Howard has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, having appeared in 52 movies and 25 television shows. But the acclaimed actor told a Judson University audience in Elgin Friday that he would rather be known for reaching the real stars, through his newly-developed drone
Growing interests provide food for thought. Independence Day offers clarity to a variety of items. It is more than honor and respect for the valuable Founding Fathers and the legacy they left. It is more of a focus on what our future can become. It is, at the same time,
“Happiness, not in another place, but this place. Not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman When the American Woman Suffrage Association was formed in 1869, its goal was to support Massachusetts associations which could support a state constitutional amendment. Many former abolitionists joined the New England Woman’s
