Archive for May, 2010
Love Thy Neighbor
November 30th, 2009 by John Creighton in Snapshots
“Love Thy Neighbor” are words many of us hear in church. Many of us aspire for these words to influence, if not fully guide, our lives. But, what do these words really look like when put into practice? I crossed paths with Larry Prochazka about a week ago – finally. We both call Longmont home now. I knew Larry as one of the star athletes from the great Atwood sports teams of the early 70s. Joni knows Larry as a [...]
Read more...The Institution Gap
November 29th, 2009 by John Creighton in B.O.E.
Tags: Citizen Centric, St. Vrain, WTC
Some people are more institution dependent than others. I have come to believe that this is one of the many growing disparities that exist in our society. People talk about the education gap, the technology gap, the income gap. The same divide exists when it comes to institutions. Some people are dependent upon institutions to do things for them. Other people use institutions to augment what they can do for themselves. The trend is moving toward more people being less [...]
Read more...First Thanksgiving Lessons
November 25th, 2009 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Most American school children learn the story of the First Thanksgiving. School lessons, projects and pageants etch into our collective narrative images of Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrating survival and sharing the bounty of a successful harvest. My mother kept a diorama I made of First Thanksgiving scene in the first or second grade. She placed it on the dining room buffet each November along with other family decorations. We often think about the First Thanksgiving story only as tale [...]
Read more...Can Social Media Bridge Enclaves?
November 23rd, 2009 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Tags: Accidental Extremists, Social Media, WTC
I wrote last week that Americans are accidental extremists. We are making choices that inadvertently results in more and more of us living in homogeneous enclaves. Our opportunities to engage with people who have different world views are in decline. Our choices of traditional media tend to reinforce our preconceived views. We choose to live in neighborhoods with people who have similar life experiences. We send our children to schools with students just like them. Bill Bishop, author of The [...]
Read more...Uncle Edmund’s Advice
November 20th, 2009 by John Creighton in Snapshots
I often think of my multi-great Uncle Edmund’s advice he gave me while I was in college. There is pressure on students these days to get thinking about a career, early, and plan ahead. Parents feel the pressure, too. A friend told me recently that she was advised not to let her son start college if he hadn’t decided on a career. It’s a waste of money, she was told. I am a plan ahead sort of guy so much [...]
Read more...