This morning, like 50% of the American people and a good number of our allies, I am in shock, heartbroken and grieving. The opposing 50% of Americans have won, and Donald Trump will be our next president. I could spend my day criticizing and catastrophizing, but it is not my way to moan or to blame. The way my mind works, I am always looking for the creative response, the one that answers the question, “So what will we do with this?” It’s the only thing I can see that frees...
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Two weeks ago, I was in Texas for a family reunion. Driving back to Houston from the reunion in Austin, my cousins and I stopped into a gas station in the town of Giddings. We were on the buckle of the Bible belt when we pulled up in front of the station’s convenience store. As we parked, I noticed a person lying on the ground – half on the sidewalk, half on a stack of big bags of corn. I couldn’t tell if this dark-skinned person – dirty and unkempt, seemingly...
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Today is Day 10 of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Most of the news leading up to the Games focused on security issues, human rights, and Russia’s ability to keep athletes and visitors safe. Not the only place in the world where “Security” hit the headlines. The same news programs featured Egyptians saying, “All we want is stability and security.” And I thought at the time, “Isn’t that true of us all!” Stability has a price, and it is high. An old boyfriend of...
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Mlondolozi Qalekiso has 40 piglets, a small shop in the South African wine country and a dream for his people. Mlondolozi Qalekiso is an inspired entrepreneur, South African style. I met Mlo in his Franschhoek shop – Isiqalo Leather Collection – when I stopped in to investigate the creative work there (leather goods, clothing, and small gifts). It was December 3, 2013 – two days before South Africa’s greatest hero Nelson Mandela left the country for good. After purchasing a...
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Thedra’s got cancer and she’s putting it on canvas. I met the artist Thedra Cullar-Ledford last summer in Houston, Texas during my 2013 book tour. We’ve stayed connected via Facebook. And then about a month ago, I began seeing her posts about her breasts and cancer. What came after that, for me, was extraordinary. She was painting. And she was sharing her work. This is her story of her creativity and breast cancer. K: How would you describe what you do, Thedra? T: I’m a...
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It’s a very rainy Saturday evening here in Nice. I’ve just come home from an afternoon of conversation with two different women, both dear friends and former students in my WOC groups. Each of them touched my heart today by spontaneously sharing a turning point in her life when things changed for her – moments that occurred in my presence. In fact, I’ve had a number of touching conversations this week, many with people who were on last Sunday’s free tele-call. They’ve told...
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