Category: Philosophy

Personal observations

What Are You Afraid Of?

Fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.  Growing up in Braidwood, I had all the unfounded fears of childhood and then some. Why? Braidwood was a safe town of 1,200. Low crime rate, friendly neighbors, extended family of Kennedys, Ginters, and Klovers … Continue reading What Are You Afraid Of? →

A New Version of the Ditto Machine: Facebook

Remember the “ditto machines” of the 1960s? During my teaching days at Roncalli High School in Aurora, Illinois, I made liberal use of this machine to reproduce tests and other written materials for my students. They seemed to love the smell of the “dirty purple” paper after they received this paper even though it was … Continue reading A New Version of the Ditto Machine: Facebook →

Common Enemy or Common Good: Which Motivates Us More?

"The good news is that we are all one. The bad news is that only a few realize this."  At the risk of thinking in simplistic terms, let’s consider that at different times we are driven and motivated by one of two personal forces: the common enemy or the common good. In fear-fueled times, we identify the cause … Continue reading Common Enemy or Common Good: Which Motivates Us More? →

He did well, but…did he do good?

"He did well for himself, didn't he?" As a former English teacher, I know my adverbs. An adverb responds to the questions, how, what, where, and when. Diagramming sentences will visually show that the slanted line modifies a verb, another adverb, or an adjective.  “Good” is either an adjective or a noun, not an adverb. … Continue reading He did well, but…did he do good? →

Aligning Personal Mission with Institutional Mission = Fulfillment

President David Clarke, S.J. "From its inception in 1981, the Regis University accelerated adult education learning program gradually gained national and international recognition among its peer institutions as a model to be emulated. At the time, there were only five other colleges that employed the same model. By 2010, this model had been adopted by … Continue reading Aligning Personal Mission with Institutional Mission = Fulfillment →

The Neanderthal from Braidwood

“Hey Thomas! You have more Neanderthal DNA than 77% of other customers.”23andme.com With this greeting, I opened my 23andme.com portal to see what this means.  I knew that the Neanderthals disappeared about 40,000 years ago but not before they made close friends with my modern homo sapiens who had migrated north from Africa. Neanderthal origins started somewhere … Continue reading The Neanderthal from Braidwood →

Illusions on Streets of My Hometown

My house on Walker Street. "Towns and neighborhoods have secrets and personal stories of people and places locked inside countless memories. People move from those places, but the places should never move from their memories." Tom Kennedy Twilight Time, to dream a while, In veils of deepening blue, As fantasy strides over colourful skies, Of forms … Continue reading Illusions on Streets of My Hometown →

“One boy = one brain; two boys = 1/2 brain…”

Braidwood East Side Gang: Marty, Louie, Richard, TK, Pete, and Kenny (circa 1953) "My father had a profound influence on me. He was a lunatic."Spike Milligan There is ample evidence that my role as a father was deficient in many ways. That is not to say that my failures were predominant during the past nearly … Continue reading “One boy = one brain; two boys = 1/2 brain…” →

Meeting Wooden, Williams, and Blanc: Icons of an Era

“Having a family member (or friend) with you on a special occasion makes for an extraordinary memory; without a family member on that occasion it makes for unforgettable regret.”Tom Kennedy In the course of a lifetime, one is lucky to be in the presence of outstanding people. Having worked alongside those who were superb human … Continue reading Meeting Wooden, Williams, and Blanc: Icons of an Era →