The ride.

Growing up, I felt entirely at odds with Thanksgiving. Or maybe I felt that Thanksgiving was entirely at odds with its intended purpose. I’m not sure which. While adults took over the main spaces of the house on Thanksgiving, my siblings, cousins, and I were usually ushered off to the basement, the backyard, or anywhere that kept us out of the way of the adults. The dads and uncles would gather around the TV to watch unremarkable football games, while the moms and aunts spent

Holyoke, CO. May 1988. Ben, Mike, Dan, Eric, and Mark (L to R). It was the Wednesday of finals week during the second semester of my freshman year at Colorado State University, and my toughest exam was scheduled for 8:00 AM the following morning. I’d spent weeks preparing, knowing I would still be up late, cramming last-minute facts and theories onto the single 3x5 index card we were permitted to bring into Music Theory. That afternoon, while standing in choir next to my best

Here’s my truth. I love being in a state of inspiration. Part of the reason I consume so many movies, songs, musicals, books, articles, etc. is that I want to be moved to be more than I was yesterday. Or, at least pushed in the right direction. Recently, I’ve found myself reflecting on what seems to be a shortage of truly outstanding leadership among those who manage the global day-to-day. I mean, it all just seems so, well, uninspiring. Giving the benefit of the doubt as I’m