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A strategically inserted space can vastly change the structure and meaning of a word. The title of this post is a good example. The letters: n, o, w, h, e, r, e when put together in this order form the single word nowhere, meaning not anywhere. Let’s consider this structure: n, o, w, (space), h, e, r, e. By adding a space in the middle of the same succession of letters, a phrase is formed: now here, meaning imm

This week, between the Christmas holiday and the New Year has left me feeling out-of-sorts. Corporations began their onslaught on the senses and emotions of consumers in early October. Halloween begins the bombardment of urging us to pretend and dress up as people other than who we are. In the industry of government, we experience Halloween everyday. However, politicians reverse their roles – they wear their co

I’m sure you have driven on an interstate highway and rolled your eyes while looking in the rear-view mirror at a car weaving around the slower moving traffic.  “What’s the hurry?” They zip on past you and continue their antics as they rush toward their destination.  Maybe they have a medical emergency, are impatient, or just plain rude.  No matter the reason, I’m sure the

  In the past six weeks, life has taken a dramatic turn for three families in our circle of close friends. No, make that four. I will include Cathy and me. Why all at once? Look past the details, Peter. What does the big picture look like? Family 1: A husband left a job he loved. The poor leadership skills of his boss reduced his vocation to just-a-job. It was difficult to watch the gradual but systematic weathe

New life-experiences are filled with uncertainty. They can be downright terrifying or they can bring joy and a sense of satisfaction. It all depends on our perspective and our attitude. Take Tux, for instance. He’s the Samoyed launching himself into a wave. Now, he is a sled dog who is genetically predisposed to loving winter. He’s got a thick double-coat of fur which is made to protect him

The other day on my drive to work,  I heard a deejay report on his segment, Four Random Facts, a morsel of useless information about something called a Quarter-life Crisis. I don’t even remember what the tidbit was because I was so damn annoyed. I’m sure we all have seen, or even know someone who is having a Mid-life crisis. I don’t need to explain the details. That phrase and its connotat

Have you ever met someone and thought, “Well she’s certainly full of herself”? It’s called arrogance. Conversely, have you ever met someone who speaks softly and won’t look you in the eye when they speak? Well, that’s someone who lacks self-confidence. It’s not pleasant to be around either one of those individuals. Thankfully, the majority of the people I know who are reading

Having been a dog trainer since 2006, I could proclaim to be a Master of my trade due to my years of experience. However, over the past 6 weeks, I’ve had defining moments that challenged every ounce of my knowledge, experience, and emotions. They reinforced my belief that I am no Master. While sitting on a cold tile floor of a veterinarian’s Quiet Room, I gently stroked the head of a dog, Luigi, that

It was 10:45 pm on a Saturday night when my cell phone rang. I told Cathy, “It’s Pam. She’s probably butt-dialing. If it’s important she’ll leave a message.” 1 missed call. 1 new voicemail: Pam sounded distraught. “Peter. My Destiny is gone. I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know where to look. Please call me when you get this.” After I brushed my teeth

Having been unemployed for 10 months, I learned some simple lessons that I think are worthy of sharing. Here they are: 1. A skilled and experienced instructor does not equate to being a good teacher. 2. Sometimes, a struggling student has an inexperienced, unskilled, or ineffective teacher, or a combination of those qualities. 3. A good teacher is always a good student too. 4. Sometimes, we are better off redire