A Beacon of Light

“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘It might have been.’” Kurt Vonnegut Given the reality that I am now retired and 72 years of age, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to know that I occasionally reflect back on what might have been in my life. I do so not with regret, but…

“Character is what you do when no one is looking.” Coach John Wooden I recently heard about an activity in which participants of a group discussion were invited to write a list of people they admired. These people could be family members, friends, coworkers, celebrities, professional athletes, or anyone else who inspired them. The list was to be written…

“We are… S.I.”Vince Tringali It was the fall of 1968. In the previous academic year, Saint Ignatius High School had joined the West Catholic Athletic League after years of competing in San Francisco’s Academic Athletic Association. Pundits had predicted that it would take S.I. several years to be competitive in the WCAL, as the level…

“The Internet  is becoming the  town square  for the  global village  of tomorrow.” Bill Gates It’s been 27 years since Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, wrote these words in his 1999 book, Business @ the Speed of Thought. His words have proven to be prophetic. Were he to repeat this thought today, he may…

“Rejection is merely  a redirection;  a course correction  to your destiny.”Bryant McGill I was fourteen years old. It was my freshman year of high school. Wanting to experience my high school years to the fullest, I decided to attend the Rally Mixer, the first dance of the 1968-69 academic year. Mixers were dances which did…

“I have been  driven many timesupon my knees  by the overwhelming  conviction that I had  nowhere else to go.”  Abraham Lincoln Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch Christian watchmaker who, with the assistance of her family, saved nearly 800 Jewish people from the Holocaust by hiding them in a secret room in the family home…

“Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” Jenny Han Well,… I’m not sure I fully agree with author Jenny Han’s assessment of the significance of the summer months, but I will concur that this time of year is an amazing season with unlimited potential for good. Technically, the official start to summer will be on…

“Serenity is notfreedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.”S.A. Jefferson-Wright

“Do what matters most to you, and make a difference doing that.”Germany Kent When I was offered the opportunity to spend a year teaching in a high school in The Bahamas back in 1974, my father thought it would be a big mistake for me to accept the offer. I had completed only two years of college at…

“A father is a man  who expects his son  to be as good a man  as he meant to be.” Frank A. Clark I spent another day in San Francisco today — another walking day. The difference between today’s walk and my City walk last Monday is that my youngest son, Brendan, joined me for the…