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Dear Karina: Using The Internet To Connect With Young Children

I’m back in here — I’ve been working on my own personal history in relative silence for a while, and I think I had some breakthroughs in developing a framework that helps me — and everyone, really — put their own personal history in the hands of others. A recent commercial by Google’s Chrome browser reminded me of this — I’m linking to it below, it’s...

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Memory Monday:Class Notes from the University of Life

I recently finished a monumental project; I took 6 Banker boxes of notes from undergraduate and graduate classes, and I got rid of them. So to speak. I didn’t exactly throw them out entirely… instead, I like to think I just made them really, really, really small. With the blessing of my IT guy at work, I used the copier to scan my reams of notes and turn them into PDF documents. So now those 6...

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Playlist of My (Her) Life

Tonight I did a nice thing for my wife — she’s pregnant, she’s tired and she’s seen a bit too much of my precocious daughter and her too-often-poopy diapers. I had some Marriott Rewards points, so off she went to the local oh-so-swanky Courtyard for a night on her own. Somehow I successfully fed, bathed and clothed our little daughter and was desperately trying to distract her from...

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Memory Monday: Music

I just returned from the first “spin class” I’ve done at my gym in more than 3 years. If you’re not familiar with the term “spin class,” just think of about 20 people on stationary bikes VOLUNTARILY turning a knob that makes it more and more difficult to turn the pedals, VOLUNTARILY going up an imaginary hill, all in the name of fitness. I think “spin class”...

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Memory Monday: The First School Years

My first year of school was at a bible church behind our house (now covered with subdivisions, there was once only an alfalfa field between our house and the church). My teacher was Mrs. Miller – I don’t remember much from that first year except that at some point the cover of a fluorescent light broke off from the ceiling and landed on my knee. I don’t think this hurt, I just think it...

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Mile Markers of Growth & Change

Our little family spent last week away at the Oregon Coast. If you’ve never been there, especially during the early months of the year, it’s a rugged/cold/beautiful/rustic/often solitary place that lends itself to reflection and renewal. At times you could walk for miles without seeing anyone (and possibly seeing some deer) on the beach. My wife and I wandered on the beach, dodging flotsam and...

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Memory Monday: Prompts to Develop Our Life Story

I’ve spent the last few months slowly compiling the documents, memorabilia and thoughts that comprise my life to date — and one of the key lessons I’ve learned is the punchline to the joke: “How do you eat an elephant?” “One bite at a time.” Our personal histories are the same. When you start to take elements of your life and examine them — and describe them...