25 Reflections: Working with What Is

One thing that has impressed me about French cities and landscapes is that there is a deep respect for the history of the place. When someone wants to build something new, they don’t simply tear down what was there before, but rather, they work with what already exists. In the first photo above, this store…

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25 Reflections: Civility

One of the observations that I have made is that, as a general rule, civility is more present in French culture than it is in American culture. This shows up in little ways. For example, when you enter a store you always greet, and are greeted by, the shopkeeper. When you leave, you say goodbye…

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When Niceness Isn’t Nice

I recently did something that wasn’t very nice. And I did it on purpose. And I did it publicly. It was in response to something that other people did publicly that also wasn’t very nice. As the dust has settled I have owed a few people apologies, which have been given. And I am also…

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