Signing a letter of resignation can feel like signing a death warrant to your relationships I FIND IT hard to leave people. Take my current situation. Several weeks ago, I sat at my desk, looking at the resignation letter I was about to … [Read more...] about Elizabeth Gingerich: The trauma of leaving
Alice Aspen March: The right kind of attention
I'M IN THE middle of the Pennsylvania countryside, not far from Lancaster. It’s July, and fields of bright green corn line the winding roads. My grandfather has finally died at the age of 96, and I’m driving to his funeral to honor him. I’m … [Read more...] about Alice Aspen March: The right kind of attention
John Henry Miller: The Art of Harmonizing Life
IT WAS A Saturday afternoon, and the new School Quartet I was helping to create was practicing in the basement of John Henry Miller’s home in Hartville, Ohio. My classmate, Marlin Miller — who would eventually become my best friend — was trying to … [Read more...] about John Henry Miller: The Art of Harmonizing Life
Memoir: Tent Revivals, Wayward Husbands, and Chicken Dinners
AN OLD JOKE — A born-again Baptist dies and goes to heaven. He is met by St. Peter, who begins to show him the wonders of heaven: water of life, golden streets, personal mansion, a special pew in the heavenly choir. But something odd happens as … [Read more...] about Memoir: Tent Revivals, Wayward Husbands, and Chicken Dinners
Memoir: What’s in a B-210, anyway?
MY YOUNGEST BROTHER Richard once told me that I should buy a BMW. “It’s your kind of car,” he said. I’ve recently been thinking about his comment, and what he meant by it. So I asked a friend of mine who loves BMWs to explain why it’s such a … [Read more...] about Memoir: What’s in a B-210, anyway?
Driving with Joe Overholt
WHEN I THINK back to my childhood, I remember one person who was truly unforgettable. Within our community, Joe Overholt was an authentic individual. He lived a life which broke all the rules. He was a gypsy, a lover of learning, a musician. He … [Read more...] about Driving with Joe Overholt