à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Resistance
More on Last-Minute-Itis
Two posts ago I wrote about how, in waiting until the last minute to make lodging arrangements for a conference (The Wake Up Festival), I stumbled upon a solution to what, until then, had been a conundrum: finding affordable accommodation that did not involve multiple roommates. Pleased to be renting a room in a private … Continue reading
It’s All Invented
In The Art of Possibility, after decades of teaching music and seeing how students’ anxiety about grades interfered with their playing, co-author Benjamin Zander decides to give each pupil an “A” at the beginning of the semester. Their only requirement is to write him a detailed letter explaining who they will have become by the … Continue reading
More on Possibility: Leaders are Everywhere
As long as I can remember, people have bemoaned a lack of leadership, of visionaries who can either inspire others to get involved for the greater good or do what’s necessary in the face of inertia or opposition. But, what if the opposite were true? What if leaders are everywhere but we choose not to … Continue reading
Declaring Independence: Would You?
For some Americans, July 4th has become a caricature, a complicated and courageous moment distilled to a day of beer, BBQ and fireworks or, less benignly, jingoistic expression. We celebrate independence, and freedom, but what do these words really mean on a societal level if, as individuals, not everyone is independent or free? Here is … Continue reading
Things Can Change in an Instant
On Saturday I awoke at 5a.m., intending to hike Mt. Flora (13,146′) and neighboring peaks with the Colorado Mountain Club. I hadn’t been at altitude in weeks, partly because I had been nursing a tweaked knee, partly out of fear. The longer I’m away from the higher peaks, the worse I feel and the harder … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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