Monthly Archives: October 2014

Two maples, one prayer

The Iroquois considered the maple tree a sacred symbol, and a direct gift from God. For those native Americans, a maple’s wood and sap were valuable resources. They celebrated an annual thanksgiving festival with the rising of the sap to commemorate another year of the tree’s life, and their own as a nation. For the […]

How to kill a job interview

A former college student of mine once e-mailed me about an upcoming job interview, asking what things he should know, questions he may be asked, and how he might respond. His request couldn’t have been timelier; in this economy, employers are looking for any reason not to hire someone. But in my response and subsequent discussions […]

Back to her immigration Odyssey

It’s been a few years, but the image remains vivid: The brunette waitress darted across the restaurant like a gust of wind. Clad in black, she balanced plates and glasses on her tray, called out instructions to the bartender, and grabbed a handful of spare napkins as she passed the server station — all simultaneously. […]

Should the national drinking age be 18?

After reading an article on the conundrum of fake IDs – whose possession I don’t condone – I was left pondering another barrier, the minimum legal drinking age of 21. This has been the muffled debate of our times, mostly because of powerful, well intentioned advocacy groups, and financial strong-arming by the federal government. Following Prohibition, the […]