There’s a beautiful, spiritual spot on Glendale Lane in Nashville. It’s a labyrinth, which sits beside a lovely little sanctuary: the Glendale United Methodist Church. Passersby may not notice it, nestled as it is on the left side, surrounded by trees. I never did, as many times as I’ve driven down Glendale Lane on one of my favorite back routes to Franklin Road. Once acquainted with it, the labyrinth began to play a significant role in my life. For those of you unfamiliar with labyrinths, … [Read more...]
High School Graduate Turns Ugandan Trip into a Mission to Educate the Poor
August 7, 2011 By 4 Comments
By Ned Andrew Solomon This article originally appeared in The Tennessee Register. Some kids want to be Michael Jordan when they grow up. Katie Davis, a recent graduate of Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, wanted to be Mother Teresa. “My grandmother and my mom always liked her,” said Davis. “So whenever we had to do a book report on the biography of a famous person, I’d choose her.” Her parents accepted Davis’ future plans with a typical grain of salt, but their daughter never … [Read more...]
Put on a Happy Face!
August 6, 2011 By 6 Comments
How many of you remember Dick Van Dyke singing and dancing to Put on a Happy Face in the original film version of Bye Bye Birdie? I do. In an effort to cheer up a friend who’s “down in the dumps”, he encourages her to “spread sunshine all over the place, just put on a happy face!” When I’m in a great mood, I guess I can’t help but smile. When I’m walking through my day, passing total strangers on the street on the walk from my car to the office, or from my office to the car, or from my office … [Read more...]
Happy Connections
August 5, 2011 By 6 Comments
Where better to seek out happiness than in making spontaneous connections with other human beings? It’s a favorite pastime of mine. Going up or down in the elevator. Waiting on line at the post office or grocery store. Sure, you could just stand there and feel awkward, or bemoan the fact that the line isn’t moving any faster, or that there’s only one postal clerk window or check-out lane open at lunchtime…or…you could pass the time agreeably with the person in front of or behind you. Go on, make … [Read more...]
Bernie Goggins: A Profile of Life after Brain Injury
March 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment
For a glimpse into the life of St. Joseph parishioner, Bernie Goggins, it might make some sense to look at pre and post July 27, 2002. That’s the day Goggins was mowing his front yard, stepped out into the road for a moment, was hit by a van and sent flying through the air. “Thankfully I was caught by the street, or I’d still be falling,” said Goggins. “Forty feet and a month later,” as Goggins described it, he was still unconscious in the Trauma Unit of Vanderbilt Hospital, having endured … [Read more...]
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