Category Archives: Living My Life

Luke’s story, for kids

Posted on December 23, 2012 by hessd

I learned “the Christmas story” the same way you did.  Unlearning “it” has been one of the great delights of my adult life.  In unlearning “it,” I was free to learn “them,” and that has been very satisfying. “Them” are the … Continue reading →

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Nonviolent Communication

Posted on November 22, 2012 by hessd

The cover story in a recent issue of The Christian Century is called “Beyond Anger and Blame.”  That sounds good to me.  The “beyond,” especially, sounds good to me.  I have no complaint at all about getting “beyond” anger and … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life, Political Psychology | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Deathbed Confessions

Posted on August 22, 2012 by hessd

I’ve been thinking about deathbed confessions.  I’m feeling fine, thank you for asking, but I’ve begun to wonder what such a thing might mean.  The game, as I have heard it described in a hundred bad novels and maybe a … Continue reading →

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Building Abscission Layers

Posted on July 6, 2012 by hessd

For the last twenty years or so, I’ve been thinking about abscission layers.  I have read meticulous accounts of those layers and the processes that reliably produce them in biology texts where, after several readings, I thought I got the … Continue reading →

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Robots are better than anything

Posted on June 22, 2012 by hessd

Not, as in the earlier post, “better than nothing.”  Let me say up front that this whole “social robot” thing scares me.  It’s creepy, but the path to there from here is lit up like a strip with landing lights. … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life, Love and Marriage, Paying Attention, ways of knowing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

My Father’s Magic and How He Worked It

Posted on June 17, 2012 by hessd

When I was in my 20’s, I had the rare privilege of watching my father teach an adult Sunday School class, using abysmally bad materials.  The classes were a lot better than the materials.  That puzzled me. I got the … Continue reading →

Posted in Getting Old, Living My Life, ways of knowing | Tagged | 2 Comments

Squeaky Clean Hearts and Teeth

Posted on June 15, 2012 by hessd

The pivot point of today’s reflection is going to be squeaky clean hair (point 1) and “you can tell it’s working by the tingle” toothpaste (point 2).  After that, all bets are off but this might be the time to … Continue reading →

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