A Man Impossible to Classify
"The year was 1965. We were headed toward the Haight-Ashbury. Maybe thirty yards short of the intersection, I saw him standing on the curb, a disheveled young man, not quite in the hippie mold. He was looking directly at me, it seemed, and gesturing emphatically, an incongruous grin on his face." So starts this piece from Works & Conversations Magazine, describing meetings with and reflections by ... posted on Jan 28 2008, 2,560 reads

11-Year-Old Law-Changer
Restaurants and hotels normally throw out enormous amounts of leftover foods from their patrons. It's simply thrown away, instead of giving it away, for fear of a lawsuit from someone getting ill. Jack Davis, age 11, was at a family buffet when he was explained by a manager that whatever was not eaten would be thrown away. The sixth-grader found this unacceptable and took matters in his own hand... posted on Jan 24 2008, 2,917 reads

The Blind Child Musician's Blessing
"Patrick's eyes are not functional. He is in a wheelchair and when we first shook hands, his fingers seemed entirely too thick to be nimble. So when he offered to play the piano for me and his father rolled his wheelchair up to the baby grand, I confess that I thought to myself, "Well, this will be sweet. He has overcome so much. How nice that he can play piano." But then Patrick put his hands to ... posted on Jan 13 2008, 3,013 reads

Saving Hearts in the Caribbean
"Fifty percent of people having heart attacks die within 24 hours without the proper medical treatment. Even if you are rich enough to own a plane, it may be too late," says Nigerian cardiologist Earnest Madu, CEO of the Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC), which is proving that it's possible to provide high-quality health care in a developing country like Jamaica. The hospital maintains a poli... posted on Jan 11 2008, 1,928 reads

If I Live To Be 100
In 1999 and 2000, veteran radio producer Neenah Ellis spent a year traveling the country, recording interviews with people who've lived past age 100. She listened to their stories about coming of age in the early 1900s, about the Great Depression, about the second World War -- and she listened, she says, "just to the sound of their voices." Her work became a yearlong Morning Edition series, One Hu... posted on Jan 07 2008, 2,716 reads

Peace Jam: An Assembly of Elders and Youth
Ivan Suvanjieff, an artist and musician, saw a teenager in his neighborhood carrying a gun to protect the drugs he and fellow gang members were selling in Denver. He approached the young men and asked why they were not in school. After a long discussion, he learned they knew nothing of American politics and could not name the president of the United States, but each one could tell him exactly what... posted on Dec 21 2007, 1,632 reads

The Salesman Who Sang Opera
He was an unlikely opera singer: by day Paul Potts sold cell phones in South Wales and confessed that summoning self-confidence was "always difficult." But Paul persevered. "My dream is to spend my life doing what I was born to do," he said simply. Watch him defy expectations on a June 2007 episode of "Britain's Got Talent" -- and in the course earn a standing ovation from an audience of over two ... posted on Dec 16 2007, 2,751 reads

The Mystery Muffin Giver
"What would it be this morning -- a warm Blueberry Lemon? Banana Nut? Cranberry Orange? Oatmeal Raisin? There is always a warm muffin or two tucked into a white napkin and placed next to the morning newspaper, waiting for me once I open my front door. Who is the Mystery Muffin Giver? I try to wake up early to see if I can catch him/her in the act, but so far I've been unsuccessful..." So begins t... posted on Dec 13 2007, 2,714 reads

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Living
Don Alverto Taxo of the Atis people of Ecuador is dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom into modern living. He travels and teaches in the United States and Europe, encouraging individuals to bring more heart and intuition to their daily lives. "My invitation is to do it," he says. "We all feel the need to live in harmony with all the manifestations of life," shares Don Alverto Taxo in this inspirin... posted on Dec 12 2007, 2,801 reads

Live Like Andrew
Just months ago, his son, Andrew, a 14-year old competitive soccer player, was rushed to the hospital with a stomach ache. What Joe McDonough thought must have been appendicitis turned out to be leukemia, and doctors told him it was unlikely that Andrew would make it through the night. Andrew lived on for 166 days in the hospital, and Joe and his family were by his side each step of the way. Now, ... posted on Dec 08 2007, 3,248 reads