Sometimes I wonder how much progress we are truly making in the world.  It can be disheartening to watch the news or read the comments on social media, and it doesn’t feel like we’ve made much progress.  But many of the things we take for granted now haven’t been happening for that long.  Taking a hot shower only became common in the 1960’s.  Indoor plumbing has existed for less than 100 years.  We can pull up to a drive-thru and have hot food or coffee within a few minutes. 

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…and thus begins the famous Charles Dickens novel “A Tale of Two Cities”.  I remember having to read this book in high school, but since that’s been a few years I don’t really remember the story, but that opening line sure stuck.     But this opening did make me think about the time we live in.  Are we now living in the “best of times” or the “worst of times”, or is it possible that it is both?    Perhaps most every generatio

The age-old question - is the glass half-full or half-empty?  Are you an optimist or a pessimist?  I’m sure many of us know those people who are eternal optimists.  They are always happy, sometimes bubbly, and always seeing the good in other people.  What is wrong with those people? How are they so agreeable all the time?   And then there are the pessimists among us, and you know who you are. Often easy to spot and hard to avoid…you see them around the corner and try to diver

Happy New Year!  Now that January is here and those presents are opened, I wonder how many will last?  Often those shiny new toys opened on Christmas morning end up in a closet or collecting dust on a shelf in a short time.  The newness wears off and then all we have is a pile of junk and a credit card bill.  Are there any good gifts that will actually last through the coming weeks, months, or years?    As I’ve gotten older it seems to me that experiences matter more than thi