Who doesn't love a captivating story? Whether it's the profound expressions of a grief-stricken family, the intrigue of a made-up girlfriend, or the scandal of a former hero falling from grace, we just eat ‘em up. Beyond filling the airwaves of our 24-hour news cycle, these tales fuel a profound human need to feel connected with fellow humans. We yearn to share joy, sorrow, triumph, pain and purpose. Stories help give meaning and context to our lives.
Read MoreAt what point does someone's personal life morph into his professional life – and vice versa? Prior to the advent of mobile technology and social media, the answer to this question was fairly clear-cut. A professional life took place at a formal workplace, during normal office hours. And a personal life happened outside those confines.
Read MoreMy weekly trip to the grocery store hardly ranks as one of my favorite activities, so I usually treat myself to an impulse purchase (or two) as a reward for enduring the chore. This Sunday, beyond stocking up on bread, cereal and Edy’s Slow-Churned ice cream, I bought me some black water.
Read MoreAs the proud winner of my fourth grade spelling bee, I've never been a fan of the crutch commonly known as spell check. I’m even less fond of its younger, more intrusive cousin: autocorrect. Any technology that threatens to negate one of my keenest skills is no pal of mine.
Read MoreThe Olympics are a wonderful testament to the power of story. Captivating examples of courage, heroism and triumph weave memorable tales that inspire the world. It’s hard not to be sucked in by those dramatized stories chronicled by NBC and other media.
Read MoreOne of my college roommates concocted a ridiculous rule that forbade him from beginning a study session unless it was the top of the hour. Bob adhered to this mandate with religious fervor, refusing to crack the spine of a book unless the time gods deemed it was OK. If the clock read 8:03, for example, he would be “forced” to wait an entire 57 minutes to try again – and he’d have a mere 60 seconds to jump on the study train.
Read MoreGrowing up, Summer Sanders remembers her dad was too cheap to turn on the air conditioning, which meant staying cool required a dip in the backyard pool. And so began the Olympian’s early devotion to swimming.
Read MoreI recently came across a provocative blog post challenging the notion that content is king (a conviction first put forth by Bill Gates in 1996 that has since become a widely quoted tenet of social networking). Content, argues author Douglas Idugboe, has lost its king status and is now servant to the audience it seeks to reach. With the evolution of the web and social media, he contends, content has become less important than audience in determining digital success.
Read MoreRemember Show and Tell? If you’ve never had the opportunity to participate in this ritual of elementary classrooms, it’s essentially an open forum for students to share random objects and experiences.
Read MoreI blame Prince. And Sinead. A couple decades before texting ever captivated a generation, these two colluded to legitimize ridiculous abbreviations for already short words.
Read MoreSomething's been gnawing at me, and it's time to come clean about it. After 18 faithful years, I have cancelled my daily newspaper subscription.
Read MoreMost books begin with a series of short warm-up diversions: Preface, Prologue, heart-warming Dedication. Sometimes inspiring, sometimes annoying, these obligatory preambles set the stage for the story that follows. My warm-up diversions demanded a bit more space than the average tale.
Read MoreMy Grandma Rotanelli was a smart woman. Three academic degrees, an acclaimed teaching career, mind as sharp as a tack. But for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out how to operate a simple elevator.
Read MoreWhen I was a little boy, my favorite stories centered around a clever insect named Philip. Our Philip the Fly anthology included dozens of tales of adventure, heroism and just a little bit of mischief.
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