Serve by Design

Our eldest son, Matt, is taking a course with policy wonks from near and far. He is engaged in a program of professional development for several weeks this fall under the tutelage of a notable east coast institution of learning. He is loving it! It has been over twenty years since he has taken any advanced studies. The whole experience is demanding in its instruction, reading and class assignments. There is both a collegiality and competitive spirit among his study group as they work together on policy issues from various levels of government, educational and civic concerns. Don't Sweat God's Redirects! Recently, one of his group members offered a bit of advice as they were establishing norms for how they will relate to one another during group time. She said that, in her experience, when a group discussion was holding up the work, they needed to complete during their limited time together, they invoked the acronym – E.L.M.O. As current group members looked at each other puzzle...

Recently, I had an experience that previously I had only heard about. One morning, I awoke with a “fly-like something” in my right eye! To make it even more fascinating and annoying, it also had a tail stringing from its center. It comes and goes from my field of vision. If I concentrate on it, it can be pretty distracting! Eye Floaters! Image credit: imgbin.com I have consulted an in-house expert regarding the matter. Monique recommends that I get an appointment with the eye specialist soon, but her diagnosis is that I have a “floater” in that eye. She has been dealing with such visual issues in both of her eyes for around ten years now! I guess I should be thankful that I haven’t had any such surprises until this time. I am creeping closer to my one-year anniversary of the “three-score and ten!” Isn’t it curious that they call these things, “floaters?” I have spent lazy hot Texas summers floating and tubing in the cool back waters of the Comal River in New Braunfels. That is an ent...