Dignity: Through Words and Actions

Things have changed so much from when I was a child growing up in the late sixties into the seventies. Bullying meant something different back then. The bigger kids would take the smaller kids for lunch money or make fun of someone in class because they were short, tall, or overweight. I remember when IContinue reading “Dignity: Through Words and Actions”

Dignity: Unified Sports, Where Dignity Lives

I have been writing this dignity blog since July 2020. I started posting my thoughts online in June of 2021. I never knew I would have so much to write about. The stories I share and the thoughts I type on this blog are the stories of a man who spent much of his life living in silence. I cannot believe how manyContinue reading “Dignity: Unified Sports, Where Dignity Lives”

Dignity: Happy Birthday to Me  

Tomorrow (May 2) I will celebrate sixty-two years on this earth. When my birthday falls on a Saturday it has special meaning because I was born on a Saturday back in 1964. When I tell people how old I am, I usually get two responses. The first is “Really, I thought you were in your forties.” or “You’reContinue reading “Dignity: Happy Birthday to Me  “

Dignity: Growing Older and Wiser with Dignity

I was reading a letter this morning that my son wrote to me last year on Senior Day. Each student writes a letter to their parents and shares it with them on the week before graduation. As I read his letter again, the sentence that stood out the most to me was the fact that he thanked meContinue reading “Dignity: Growing Older and Wiser with Dignity”

Dignity: I found My voice Through Music: Scituate Part 6 

I struggled most of my time in school. Read and writing were a challenge for me. Even more challenging for me was public speaking. Getting in front of my classmates and reading a Shakespeare poem or reading an essay I wrote brought out this fear in me that is hard to discribe. As I stood in front of the class andContinue reading “Dignity: I found My voice Through Music: Scituate Part 6 “

Dignity: Mrs. Howes Dignity Leader. Part 5

As part of the METCO Program, we had a METCO Coordinator. During my time at Scituate High School, we had Florence Howes or Mrs. Howes as she was known to us. The role of the METCO Coordinator was a combination of guidance counselor and adjustment counselor. Their role was to support METCO students as it was an adjustment for all ofContinue reading “Dignity: Mrs. Howes Dignity Leader. Part 5”

Dignity: Scituate Part Four: My Second Family 

As part of our Scituate experience, we had a host family. These families would open their homes to us students from Boston in case we get stranded because of weather or if we have events and we needed to stay overnight. I was in chorus for four years and in marching band for three years, so I had eventsContinue reading “Dignity: Scituate Part Four: My Second Family “

Dignity: Scituate, The Early Years: Culture Shock Part Three Chapter 2 

Dear younger meWhere do I startIf I could tell you everything that I have learned so farThen you could beOne step aheadOf all the painful memories still running through my headI wonder how much different things would beDear younger me – MercyMe I have thought about wanting to go back in time and talking toContinue reading “Dignity: Scituate, The Early Years: Culture Shock Part Three Chapter 2 “

Dignity: Breaking for Cancer 

I will be continuing my series next week, but I wanted to take today to share with you what happens when you are on the path of becoming a dignity warrior. Dr. Donna Hicks, PhD in her book “Leading with Dignity” writes about the three connections of dignity.  When you are on this lifelong journey, something begins to happen. How you think changes, how you approachContinue reading “Dignity: Breaking for Cancer “

Dignity: Scituate, The Early Years Part Three, Chapter One

My journey from grades six to eight in Scituate, Massachusetts was both eye-opening and challenging. I was only twelve years old, so I didn’t understand the culture change I was going to experience in those first three years. As I look back, I now know how those years shaped my life not just in myContinue reading “Dignity: Scituate, The Early Years Part Three, Chapter One”