by John G. Self | Dec 26, 2012 | Leadership, Stories
“A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.” So said Oscar Wilde. The Rector at Dallas’s Episcopal Church of the Incarnation used that line in his homily on Christmas Eve. It drew polite laughter from many but there were...
by John G. Self | Dec 25, 2012 | Current Affairs, Stories
Four year olds know more than any rational adult would like to admit. Their intellectual powers, especially about all things Santa, are particularly acute in the days leading up to Christmas When a little girl, asked by a television reporter how Santa Claus keeps up...
by John G. Self | Dec 24, 2012 | Stories
It is Christmas Eve day and the only thing of any consequence on my schedule is the traditional lunch with my wife, perhaps a movie, and then the early evening Choral Eucharist. No shopping, no last minute rushing around. And best of all, no work. It wasn’t always...
by John G. Self | Dec 21, 2012 | Stories
I hate K19. I would rather do anything than deal with gate K19. There are others that are bad, but K19 has become my nemesis. For me, K19 it is at the end of civilization, a long, back-breaking walk from airport security in Terminal 3 at O’Hare airport. If you are...
by John G. Self | Dec 19, 2012 | Stories
Retailers tell me that nothing adds energy to Christmas shopping than a blast of cold air. Apparently colder weather creates the mood for holiday giving, overcoming concerns about the economy. I am sitting at a Starbucks located in Highland Park Village. This is one...
by John G. Self | Dec 14, 2012 | Stories
Pots and pans, lots of pots and pans. That is how I remember my first job. Those darned pans, a workplace that was hot in the summer and cold in the winter, unless the nearby kettle was being fired to cook apples, cherries or, my holiday favorite, brandied mince...
