Last summer I gave a sermon at The Community Church of Chapel Hill Unitarian Universalist. An early draft included a section on the four stages of competence. It didn’t make the final cut, but the four stages provided me a new pathway to thinking about the learning process. Four stages of competence: Unconscious incompetence – […]
On Experience
When I created my Facebook account in 2008, I felt daunted by the About Me section. Full disclosure: I’m not a natural at this sort of thing. I overthink. I doubt. Rinse and repeat. Not knowing what the world of Facebook would eventually entail (I joined to keep up with friends from graduate school), I […]
On Space
It’s been a few years since my last visit to the East Building of the National Gallery of Art, designed by architect I.M. Pei. Honestly, it’s been too long since I sat in the presence of any well-designed building. I believe buildings that evoke the present moment are magical. The experience inspires me to be […]
On Leading
In my early twenties, a friend of a friend needed volunteers to take a personality test for her psychology class. I answered questions sitting on our mutual friend’s couch, and some weeks later the acquaintance handed over her analysis of my answers. The only personality trait I remember was the one I didn’t see within […]
On Self Care
Instead of a new year’s resolution, my husband and I chose a motto for 2019. Yes, we want to tighten up the diet and solidify an exercise routine, but we’re striving for more. And that “more” isn’t simply more reps, more water, more sleep. We want to expand how we think about caring for our […]
On Choice
A few years ago, an ER doctor asked me if my mother was DNR. Mom was in cardiac arrest. The doctor and I stood in the hallway, just outside of Mom’s room. I answered with Mom’s wishes: Yes. (She had spent the previous eight months battling squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsils.) The doctor confirmed […]
