Monthly Archives: June 2011

A LESSON FROM IMPROV

Posted on June 29, 2011 by stanwiedeman

Colbert kept the Northwestern audience laughing for 15 minutes of the 20-minute speech before turning to “some advice” for the graduating seniors. First, he explains how dreams can change. Life has its own path for us that sometimes ignores our dreams. “So whatever your dream is right now, if you don’t achieve it, you haven’t failed, and you’re not some loser. But just as importantly … if you do get your dream, you are not a winner.” He then provided a lesson from improv comedy that Jesus might have used had he been living in the 21st century. Continue reading →

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MISSING A GOOD PERFORMANCE

Posted on June 21, 2011 by stanwiedeman

Recently my wife and I were sitting in the audience at a dance performance. (Not surprised, are you?) Across the aisle to our right, a group of boys chattered away as we awaited the lights to dim. Their ages ranged from 7 to 12 or so.
I made several observations about this androcentric aggregate of pre-adolescents. They occupied several rows with empty seats on either side and in front and behind them. They were located strategically away from the rest of the audience, as if they had arrived as an identifiable association, like Boy Scouts or a Little League team. Continue reading →

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SOME FATHERLY ADVICE

Posted on June 14, 2011 by stanwiedeman

I was recently telling someone about an incident I had with my father when I was 9 or 10. After school, I would often ride my bicycle to the Boys Club. I loved the sloping descent on one street, because the increased speed fed my daredevil instincts and darting around other kids walking home on the sidewalk satisfied my impetus to show off.

On this particular day, I miscalculated my approach to a very busy street. When I realized I was too close for the brakes to stop me safely, I jumped off my bike and ran along beside to stop it, yelling at a group of kids at the corner, “Look out!” Even this technique did not correct my mistake and I ended up running out into the street, causing some cars to stop suddenly. Continue reading →

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