I am not so wise as to know what wisdom is, and pretending only calls up its opposite, folly. A couple of years ago I was crossing one of the floating bridges that spans Lake Washington, here near Seattle. You can see the bridge in the image below. I was driving east — in the image from… Continue reading Of Eagles
For My Mother
Jane Hedwig Stahmer Oestreich 12/5/1911 — 3/5/2012 A memory: light sweeps around our lovely wooden house and I on stilts tramp my circuit with wooden feet. I balance each corner’s turn, pass the shadows where once the coal was kept, and climb a hill of lilacs toward our sunlit kitchen. Within the house you smiled to hear I’d circled… Continue reading For My Mother
The Air is There, Waiting
There are two stories that I find myself telling. One, spoken by the voice of my fears, tells me that I am alone, misunderstood, and different from others in a way that will always keep me isolated and unrecognized. It’s depressing. The second voice “flips” this emphasis on difference from a liability to an asset… Continue reading The Air is There, Waiting
The Ears of the Wolf
Many years ago, when I was working in an HR function, two consultants were hired to help with executive selection processes. Their sophisticated temperament testing instrument was used in combination with other standard tools, such as interviews, resumes, work samples, references, and so on. The consultants’ information seemed to be particularly compelling and they soon… Continue reading The Ears of the Wolf