We can’t help it; it’s in our nature. We all need to be “connected”. Whether we realize it or not, we’re always looking for ways to be a part of, and important to, someone else, some group, some venture, some cause, some future. And so we make connections, either constructive or destructive, for better or worse. But every connection is a potential re-birth opportunity – both for us and for whom or what we connect with. No matter what form it comes in, every re-birth is an opp

The person you first and foremost need to be in cahoots with is yourself. While this might be self-evident to some, it’s a truth that too often escapes us in practice. For all that we do in our daily, frequently frenetic lives, we tend to neglect our best friend – or the person who should be our best friend. Sometimes it hits hard when we discover the neglect. We’re so busy trying to make our lives WORK – in careers, finances, and family and social needs that we forget to mak

Everybody loves a parade, and in Louisiana during Mardi Gras season, there’s a whole lotta lovin’ going on. The love shows itself in so many ways... ...like the artistry, craftsmanship, and imagination of the people who develop parade themes and create the floats. ...like the many hundreds of men and women who spend many thousands of dollars to join carnival ‘krewes’ and ride on the floats, have costumes made, and buy mountains of beads and trinkets to toss freely to spectato

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” M. Ghandi Ahh! Valentine’s Day! Schmaltzy, right? It’s for lovesick puppies and school kids. It’s for sugary cards and flowers– and disappointment for those who aren’t on the receiving end of them. I say it’s time for a change. We can still keep the cards and flowers and romantic love, but why not bring this special observation into the new age? Why not remove some of the commercialism and even corniness of the holiday and make

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” There’s hardly any disputing this old maxim, and we should consider that the stomach is also an important route for connecting cultures. When I was more or less a citizen of the world for five and a half years, I always made it a point to eat the same food the locals ate – with only a few exceptions. I had learned quickly that to refuse to eat what was offered at my host’s table was to offend him or her, because what we eat i